A Day Off: An Exhibition of the F.C. Gundlach Foundation | f³ – freiraum für fotografie
Image: © Martin Parr, from the series Common Sense [F.C. Gundlach Collection, F.C. Gundlach Foundation + House of Photography, Deichtorhallen Hamburg]
Written by Makenna Karas
Photo Edited by Kelly Woodyard
Our work is often the sun to which our selfhood revolves around. Go to any social gathering, and the first question you will hear is, “So, what do you do?”. We live in a world obsessed with occupation and productivity, where our jobs are used to define us. But what about the rest? Curated by Natalja Altjasova, “A Day Off” explores human activity as it manifests outside the parameters of our civilized world, dipping into animalistic impulses and desires. Spanning decades and featuring an expansive array of artists such as Elliott Erwitt, Nan Goldin, David Hockney, and Esther Haase, the exhibition is on display at f³ – freiraum für fotografie from March 15th through June 2nd in Berlin.
Fish and Chips with the Queen, London 2018 © Ester Haase [F.C. Gundlach Collection, F.C. Gundlach Foundation + House of Photography, Deichtorhallen Hamburg]
Shot by Esther Haase, “Fish and Chips with the Queen, London 2018” encompasses the overarching sense of fun that the series evokes. Dripping in flamboyance, the model wears outrageously large sunglasses and a neon blue tassel dress, posing with a confidence that screams liberation from rigid, professional attire. Her brightly lacquered fingernails dip into a greasy bouquet of french fries, bringing one to her mouth as she stares directly into the lens, daring you to witness her moment of indulgence. Looking at her, you are overwashed with a sensation of freedom and autonomy that the working world often inhibits. Her funky attire channels memories of dressing up as a child, long before dress codes and uniformity, back when individuality and play had yet to be stifled. The indulgence is not only in greasy food but in allowing space for play.
Image: © Martin Parr, from the series Common Sense [F.C. Gundlach Collection, F.C. Gundlach Foundation + House of Photography, Deichtorhallen Hamburg]
Dipping deeper into the pool of indulgence, Martin Parr’s images of hands clutching cigarettes and fried food illustrate the necessity for vice that humanity cannot escape. The more formality the professional world requires, the more pungent the desire for freedom becomes. One image presents just the lower portion of The formality of the cold, metallic wristwatch juxtaposes the brightly colored nails and bikini bottom while being a subtle reminder of the obsession with the time our business–oriented world runs off of. Even a day off is on the clock, allowing only a certain number of hours to do what you please.
Diving Tower, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany 1957 Image: Peter Keetman © F.C. Gundlach Foundation
The series explores and reveals the nature of those hours, many of which are latent with an undeniable animalism. Peter Keetman’s “Diving Tower, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany 1957” depicts an array of children and adults hanging out on a diving tower. Some sit still while others theatrically swing from the bars, creating a scene that resembles monkeys in a tree. This, coupled with the open sky in the background, presents a moment divorced from civilization. There are no buildings. There is no sense of urgency. The image only focuses on humans, existing in their natural state of play, and the wide open earth as we once knew it, long before we needed to schedule time off to enjoy it. With remarkable brilliance, the exhibition asks you to reflect on those few and far between hours of unchecked liberation and what you choose to do with them.
Self-portrait, Marrakech, Morocco 1983 Image: F.C. Gundlach © F.C. Gundlach Foundation
