BERND PREIML, Sukkubus @ Cinema photographique, Festival for Fashion and Photography, 2010. Vienna

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BERND PREIML’s photographs and films describe a world filled with magic and mystery, often coupled with a disconcerting sense that sinister forces may be lurking. Growing up in the mountainous countryside outside of Vienna, he seems to have internalized some of the quiet inscrutability of the snow-shrouded mountains and trees. As a boy, he was struck by the rich colors and lush pageantry of Catholicism, set against the wildness of nature. He recalls festive processions in traditional costumes and folk tales about ancient creatures and wild people who inhabited the forests. – by JESSICA JOSLIN

His work, sometimes disturbing, sometimes mesmerizing often appears in the context of fashion magazine editorials. He embraces the idea of creating something entirely unexpected, something poignant, strange, or delightful, hiding amidst the frivolity. He understands that beauty isn’t interesting unless it is somehow soiled, unless it is complex.