Caroline Heinecke | Conceptual Fine Art Photography

Caroline Heinecke

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Herr der Dinge 2019 – 2021

Von 2019 bis 2021 habe ich den intensiven Kontakt zu Menschen gesucht, die kuriose Dinge sammeln. Solche, deren Motiv auf den ersten Blick etwas skurril oder entrückt wirken mag. Dabei habe ich mich bewusst auf die gesammelten Objekte konzentriert, denn wenn man mit den Augen des Sammlers auf die Bilder schaut, wird das, was eben noch als unsinnig, seltsam, wertlos, ja sogar eklig bezeichnet wurde, plötzlich klar, vertraut, schön und faszinierend. Die Beweggründe und Geschichten hinter den Sammlungen haben mich dazu gebracht, diese Arbeit zu fotografieren. Regine von Chossy aus München zum Beispiel sammelt, getrieben von einem Haarfetisch, Haare und stellt sie in ihrem eigenen Haarmuseum mit datierten und signierten Haarspenden aus. Der Fotograf Karl-Ludwig Lange sammelt Ziegelsteine, weil die darauf befindlichen Stempel ihm Aufschluss über die lokale Geschichte seiner Umgebung geben, und die Präparatorin Navena Widulin aus Berlin sammelt Gallensteine und setzt damit eine Tradition des Berliner Medizinhistorischen Museums der Charite fort.

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From 2019 to 2021, I sought close contact with people who collect curious objects—items whose motivations may at first seem eccentric, peculiar, or somewhat detached. I deliberately focused on the collected objects themselves, because when one looks at them through the eyes of the collector, what had just seemed meaningless, strange, worthless, or even repulsive suddenly becomes clear, familiar, beautiful, and fascinating.

The motivations and stories behind these collections inspired me to photograph this body of work. Regine von Chossy from Munich, for example, driven by a fascination with hair, collects hair and exhibits it in her own hair museum, featuring dated and signed donations. Photographer Karl-Ludwig Lange collects bricks because the stamps impressed on them reveal aspects of the local history of his surroundings. And taxidermist Navena Widulin from Berlin collects gallstones, thereby continuing a tradition of the Berlin Museum of Medical History at the Charité.

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Book with 144 pages, softcover

Artist Edition of 100

118 Pictures

220 x 325 cm

Design by Miriam Waszelewski & Maj Mlakar www.mosk.co

45 €

A red book with four inset images and German text. Cover of the Book Master of Things by Caroline Heinecke.
A silver "Deutscher Fotobuchpreis Shortlist" sticker on a red book cover.
Close-up of a broken matchstick with a green head bent into a U-shape.
A wooden matchstick with a red tip and several thin, pale fibers hanging from its side, set against a solid blue background.
An open book features various photographs of matches, including one with a heart made of matches, another with a single matchstick, and a close-up of a used match, all against a purple background.
A close-up of a matchstick with a teal head shaped like a human skull, against a blurred purple background.
A green-tipped match is bent into an arch shape against a peach background.
A wooden stirrer and a coffee bean floating against a purple background, casting shadows.
A single matchstick with a red tip on a teal background printed on a page of a book with a red spine.
A black matchstick with a split tip, topped with a dollop of white paste.
Three matches, one burned in half, stand in a matchbox against a yellow background.
A vertical, bright blue, slightly curved stick with rough patches and a dark indent on the upper half, against a pale purple background.
A close-up view through the cardboard tube of a yellow paper towel roll, revealing a blurred bathroom scene beyond.
An open book lies on a purple surface, displaying images of a bathroom with orange tiles and purple toilet paper.
Variously textured and colored toilet paper strips hang against a yellow tiled wall.
A large clock face on the side of a white house under a purple sky, next to a tall green tree.
A wooden accordion door with frosted glass panels partially conceals a wall adorned with an arrangement of vintage-style clocks.
A blue-green clock hangs on floral wallpaper next to an orange curtain and above patterned wrapping paper.
A wall and wooden cases filled with numerous vintage and modern clocks.
An open book with images of various clocks and cacti on a purple background.
A clothes drying rack filled with laundry on a tiled outdoor patio overlooking a vast landscape with a large clock on a cloudy day.
A vintage green and black speckled wall clock hangs above brown curtains gathered to reveal a window with a wooden grid.
An open book with light green pages and a red VII, Obj. 21/250 printed on the right page.
Three distinct crystals with rough textures are displayed on a pale, sandy surface.

Gallstones, 2019

An open book on a light purple surface shows an image of two round, textured, light brown objects on a red background.
An abstract image of a burnt log or wood, standing upright on a glittery dark-colored surface with smaller charred pieces of debris scattered around it.

Gallstones, 2019

An open book with images of natural objects and food on a purple background.
A collection of gallstones of varying sizes, colors, and textures, stored in clear containers and multi-well plates.
A hallway with a red runner on steps, red lips mat on a white rug, and an ornate rug partially visible.

Lipstick, 2019

Six worn tubes of lipstick in varying shades, including red, orange, pink, white, lavender, and coral, stand in a row against a black background.
Four ornate antique red lipsticks, two with exposed red tips, stand reflected on a black surface.

Lipstick, 2019

A dining room with a chandelier, framed pictures, a mannequin with a large pink feathered hat, and a table featuring oversized red and gold lipstick and nail polish sculptures.

Lipstick, 2019

A close-up of a vibrant blue comb tangled in golden brown hair with lighter highlights.
A man's black and white face obscured by a tangled mass of light brown hair on a piece of paper with an autograph below.
Close-up of a tangled bundle of brown beard hair tied at the base with white string, set against a pink and purple backdrop.

Hair, 2019

A blonde wig displayed on a lilac background.
A brown curly wig rests in a pile of crumpled purple tissue paper.

Hair, 2019

A brown plastic bag sits in front of a pink and blue background.
An open book on a purple surface with a white plastic bag cut out against a dark grey background.
A colorful still life of a crumpled yellow plastic bag and a standing white paper bag with a floral pattern.
An open book against a purple background, with images of a crumpled blue bag and a white glossy handbag on its pages.
Several extracted and broken teeth with visible decay on a shiny red surface.
An open book showing pages with photographs of dental anatomy, including a large tooth model and labeled teeth samples, against a solid purple background.
A decayed tooth with green roots and a dark cavity, standing on a reflective surface with a red light streak in the background.
An open book with white pages on the left and an image of extracted teeth on a red background on the right, set against a light purple surface.
A close-up view through the cardboard core of a roll of yellow paper towels, showing another roll in the background.
Assorted patterns of toilet paper in various shades of white, beige, and yellow against a yellow tiled wall.
Three rolls of toilet paper in black, yellow, and pink colors are arranged against a tiled wall above a textured mat.
Three wooden matches with red tips, one of which is partially burnt, arranged in a matchbook on a yellow background.
A bathroom with light blue tiles featuring a white radiator beneath a recessed shelf holding nine rolls of assorted toilet paper.
Seven empty toilet paper rolls of various brands and colors stand upright on white tiled floor against a yellowish tiled wall.
A collection of floral patterned porcelain cake servers arranged on a pink lace tablecloth.
An open book with colorful images of plates, cutlery, and table linens on a purple background.
Eleven diverse porcelain cake servers with varying floral designs surrounding a white lace doily on a black background.
A top-down shot of a collection of ceramic pie servers with various patterns and colors on a black background.
Four rectangular, weathered bricks, one red and three sandy-colored, stacked on a warm brown surface against a cool blue background.
An open book with an image of abstract, textured, striped blocks of color on a light purple surface.
A textured rectangular brick with three vertical cutouts rests on a white pedestal against a textured yellow background.
An open book displaying two images of sculptural art objects, one made of rolled paper and the other a brick, on a purple background.
A small, red brick with holes sits atop a white rectangular pedestal against a textured light gray background.
A gray-green brick with a faint stamped design stands on a white pedestal in front of a white patterned background, with wooden shelves full of various bricks visible above and to the sides.
A carved golden sculpture with an arched base rests on a black rectangular pedestal.
An open book on a purple surface displays a large photograph of shelves filled with bricks, a computer, and rolls of paper.
An open magazine features text about matches and clocks, titled "KRANKE STREICHHÖLZER" and "BETRIEBSUHREN."
An open red book with "INDEX" written on the top is angled on a purple surface.
A red book with four inset images and German text. Cover of the Book Master of Things by Caroline Heinecke.
A silver "Deutscher Fotobuchpreis Shortlist" sticker on a red book cover.
Close-up of a broken matchstick with a green head bent into a U-shape.
A wooden matchstick with a red tip and several thin, pale fibers hanging from its side, set against a solid blue background.
An open book features various photographs of matches, including one with a heart made of matches, another with a single matchstick, and a close-up of a used match, all against a purple background.
A close-up of a matchstick with a teal head shaped like a human skull, against a blurred purple background.
A green-tipped match is bent into an arch shape against a peach background.
A wooden stirrer and a coffee bean floating against a purple background, casting shadows.
A single matchstick with a red tip on a teal background printed on a page of a book with a red spine.
A black matchstick with a split tip, topped with a dollop of white paste.
Three matches, one burned in half, stand in a matchbox against a yellow background.
A vertical, bright blue, slightly curved stick with rough patches and a dark indent on the upper half, against a pale purple background.
A close-up view through the cardboard tube of a yellow paper towel roll, revealing a blurred bathroom scene beyond.
An open book lies on a purple surface, displaying images of a bathroom with orange tiles and purple toilet paper.
Variously textured and colored toilet paper strips hang against a yellow tiled wall.
A large clock face on the side of a white house under a purple sky, next to a tall green tree.
A wooden accordion door with frosted glass panels partially conceals a wall adorned with an arrangement of vintage-style clocks.
A blue-green clock hangs on floral wallpaper next to an orange curtain and above patterned wrapping paper.
A wall and wooden cases filled with numerous vintage and modern clocks.
An open book with images of various clocks and cacti on a purple background.
A clothes drying rack filled with laundry on a tiled outdoor patio overlooking a vast landscape with a large clock on a cloudy day.
A vintage green and black speckled wall clock hangs above brown curtains gathered to reveal a window with a wooden grid.
An open book with light green pages and a red VII, Obj. 21/250 printed on the right page.
Three distinct crystals with rough textures are displayed on a pale, sandy surface.
An open book on a light purple surface shows an image of two round, textured, light brown objects on a red background.
An abstract image of a burnt log or wood, standing upright on a glittery dark-colored surface with smaller charred pieces of debris scattered around it.
An open book with images of natural objects and food on a purple background.
A collection of gallstones of varying sizes, colors, and textures, stored in clear containers and multi-well plates.
A hallway with a red runner on steps, red lips mat on a white rug, and an ornate rug partially visible.
Six worn tubes of lipstick in varying shades, including red, orange, pink, white, lavender, and coral, stand in a row against a black background.
Four ornate antique red lipsticks, two with exposed red tips, stand reflected on a black surface.
A dining room with a chandelier, framed pictures, a mannequin with a large pink feathered hat, and a table featuring oversized red and gold lipstick and nail polish sculptures.
A close-up of a vibrant blue comb tangled in golden brown hair with lighter highlights.
A man's black and white face obscured by a tangled mass of light brown hair on a piece of paper with an autograph below.
Close-up of a tangled bundle of brown beard hair tied at the base with white string, set against a pink and purple backdrop.
A blonde wig displayed on a lilac background.
A brown curly wig rests in a pile of crumpled purple tissue paper.
A brown plastic bag sits in front of a pink and blue background.
An open book on a purple surface with a white plastic bag cut out against a dark grey background.
A colorful still life of a crumpled yellow plastic bag and a standing white paper bag with a floral pattern.
An open book against a purple background, with images of a crumpled blue bag and a white glossy handbag on its pages.
Several extracted and broken teeth with visible decay on a shiny red surface.
An open book showing pages with photographs of dental anatomy, including a large tooth model and labeled teeth samples, against a solid purple background.
A decayed tooth with green roots and a dark cavity, standing on a reflective surface with a red light streak in the background.
An open book with white pages on the left and an image of extracted teeth on a red background on the right, set against a light purple surface.
A close-up view through the cardboard core of a roll of yellow paper towels, showing another roll in the background.
Assorted patterns of toilet paper in various shades of white, beige, and yellow against a yellow tiled wall.
Three rolls of toilet paper in black, yellow, and pink colors are arranged against a tiled wall above a textured mat.
Three wooden matches with red tips, one of which is partially burnt, arranged in a matchbook on a yellow background.
A bathroom with light blue tiles featuring a white radiator beneath a recessed shelf holding nine rolls of assorted toilet paper.
Seven empty toilet paper rolls of various brands and colors stand upright on white tiled floor against a yellowish tiled wall.
A collection of floral patterned porcelain cake servers arranged on a pink lace tablecloth.
An open book with colorful images of plates, cutlery, and table linens on a purple background.
Eleven diverse porcelain cake servers with varying floral designs surrounding a white lace doily on a black background.
A top-down shot of a collection of ceramic pie servers with various patterns and colors on a black background.
Four rectangular, weathered bricks, one red and three sandy-colored, stacked on a warm brown surface against a cool blue background.
An open book with an image of abstract, textured, striped blocks of color on a light purple surface.
A textured rectangular brick with three vertical cutouts rests on a white pedestal against a textured yellow background.
An open book displaying two images of sculptural art objects, one made of rolled paper and the other a brick, on a purple background.
A small, red brick with holes sits atop a white rectangular pedestal against a textured light gray background.
A gray-green brick with a faint stamped design stands on a white pedestal in front of a white patterned background, with wooden shelves full of various bricks visible above and to the sides.
A carved golden sculpture with an arched base rests on a black rectangular pedestal.
An open book on a purple surface displays a large photograph of shelves filled with bricks, a computer, and rolls of paper.
An open magazine features text about matches and clocks, titled "KRANKE STREICHHÖLZER" and "BETRIEBSUHREN."
An open red book with "INDEX" written on the top is angled on a purple surface.