At the Roadside: Mathias Bertram

For 10 years, Mathias Bertram has sought out surreal looking images and structures by the side of the road in Berlin and on his travels, capturing them in at-times puzzling photographs. He finds romantic landscapes in worn building facades, strange mythical creatures in faded street markings, maps of unknown continents on construction site containers, or virtuoso dancers in shattered steps. At first glance, his photographs could be mistaken for illustrations or paintings, but these motifs and shapes were created by time alone, gradually wearing away at things. Moisture, wind, and air cause them to age, while corrosion and collision slowly destroy them. However, as these things fall apart, something new is created that can lend dignity and beauty to the process of ageing—a “becoming through decaying”. Bertram’s photographs extract these trivial everyday items from their natural context, encouraging us to see them from an aesthetic perspective; a school of seeing that sharpens the gaze for the sensations of everyday life.