German photographer Stephan Zirwes gives us the opportunity to enjoy incredible aerial photos for the latest continuation of the "Pools" series. The orthographic perception together with the skill of the photographer give an ambiguous and imaginative result. Using the tiles as a patterned canvas, in which he places the pool, he isolates it from the surrounding area. The strict rectangular presentation hints at an architectural design, while the flat designs create the sense of illustration.
The photographer began working on “Pools” in 2015, responding to the trend for private pools as opposed to his own memories of the public pool. He usually plays with reality using the 2D technique – he captures moments from nature, industry and leisure, and then flattens them in an incredible way. The following is an excerpt from an interview for the "Pools 2018" series.
How did the idea for this project come about?
I like to create new perspectives on things. That's why I started taking aerial photos as early as 2000. Vertical photography was a completely new concept at the time. It is a two-dimensional view of constructions and designs. A small fragment of reality. It's like playing with reality – and so one of my first exhibitions in a gallery in Dubai was titled 'How real is reality?'
When did you start working on "Pools"? Is it a project still in progress?
I started taking photos for this series in 2015. I was shooting from a helicopter at a height of a few hundred meters. I respect privacy and don't want to bother people. In 2016 I won third prize in the architecture category of the Sony World Photographer Award. Yes, it is still a project and development.
Could you briefly describe the concept behind these photos as well as the process? How did you take these photos? How were they printed?
The "Swimming Pools 2018" series is a continuation of a previous series about public swimming pools in Europe. I flew by helicopter usually over the United States and southern Africa. There almost everyone who has money has a private pool. This is a huge waste of water! There are not many private swimming pools in Germany. People are more used to using public facilities. They are part of the social-cultural life, open to all kinds of social classes, where people spend a lot of time, especially during their childhood and thus acquire very pleasant memories. Everyone can afford the small amount of money to enter the pool. I like that way of thinking. In 2011 I started using my first drones. Now I also photograph with drones. The "Pools 2018" series consists of photographs taken from a height of only a few meters. During printing the tiles from the pools were copied and enlarged to create a sort of repeating pattern, which would act as a frame.
What message do you want to convey with these images?
Public swimming pools are a symbol of the importance of water, which should be freely accessible to everyone. A symbol that contradicts the tendency to privatize water, through private pools as well as its use for commercial purposes. So I say again that water should be freely accessible to everyone.
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