Silke Lauffs (b. 1969, Germany) is an analogue photographer who creates striking black-and-white images that capture an ethereal, timeless beauty. Lauffs trained initially as an interior designer, and though she only worked in that field for a few years, a designer’s eye for clean lines and striking composition has undoubtedly remained in her photography, which she has dedicated her life to. Another constant thread throughout the self-taught photographer’s work is a pervasive sense of calmness and stillness. Lauffs has travelled the world, visiting places known for their vibrant colours, crowds, and noise: India, China, South Africa, south-east Asia. Yet her works capture an extraordinary monochromatic serenity, from empty streets to rolling hills – an effect often achieved by rising before dawn or going far from the beaten path. This calm beauty, combined with Lauffs’ analogue techniques and her tendency to favour long exposure times, lends these photographs a timeless air. They look as if they could have been taken any time during the last century, both in style and in subject matter. Yet there is a contemporary edge to the works, Lauffs insists: in capturing the beauty in the world around us, she hopes we will be encouraged to show more care for it.
