Muse by Thomas Kretschmann

For about ten years, the renowned actor has been using his Leica to capture scenes on set, colleagues and impressive situations behind the scenes, in his environment or on his travels. He is less interested in staging photos than in collecting "frozen moments". Already in autumn 2019, Kretschmann provided a first insight into his photographic work as part of the BERLIN PHOTO WEEK, before now, two years later, fanning out his œuvre en détail and inviting viewers to "dive in" together.

The central series MUSE was created over the last few years at the artist's own pool, in the hills of Los Angeles. Similar to Helmut Newton's work, one regularly finds places in the work of the former professional swimmer Kretschmann that symbolise water, swimming or the sea. So it is only logical that the photographer photographed his long-time partner and muse Brittany Rice in a multi-part underwater cycle. Sometimes floating as if in a trance, sometimes ascending and sometimes descending, wearing only a delicate negligee, she seduces the viewer like Frederick de la Motte Fouquet's Undine or a siren from ancient Greece. Underwater Love.

But America is also a major theme in Thomas Kretschmann's world of images. From this he shows his very own interpretation of Ragged Old Flag, sung by Johnny Cash back in 1974 and recently printed in Rolling Stone Magazine. Or he takes us right into the middle of the riots that took place in L.A. in May 2020. Kretschmann, the documentarist, who comments quietly but intensely and lets the viewer participate in his short story with every picture.

Of course, the companions, who are on the one hand colleagues and on the other friends, must not be missing from the exhibition. In current portraits, we encounter the multi-talented Heidi Klum as well as Kretschmann's acting colleague Daniel Radcliffe, who - bearded and smoking - hardly reminds us of the young sorcerer's apprentice Harry Potter, whose films made him famous.

In compliance with the currently valid Corona guidelines, the MUSE exhibition in the Leica Galerie Munich is open from Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 19.00 hrs. Admission is free. The photographs in the exhibition are available for purchase.