b. 1959 (Lübeck-Travemünde, Germany)
For more than 30 years, landscape photography has constituted the main topic of Olaf Otto Becker’s photographic work. He is especially interested in documenting the visible traces of human overpopulation left behind in nature. It is these traces that make clear how exactly humans treat the planet. After thorough research, Becker usually works a couple of years on one specific subject. He then publishes his results in the form of a book. While single images are of great importance, it is sequences that tell his stories in depth. Becker regards himself as an artist as well as an eyewitness to the changes of our times.
He writes: “I read the landscape and record what I find to be truly remarkable. Human overpopulation is causing resources like food, energy, raw materials, land, and water to become increasingly scarce. The earth we live on, though, only offers limited space for this growth. In the future, the international community will be forced to join together to solve these growing problems. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in working together globally. At the same time, the consequences of overpopulation are becoming visible ever more clearly and readily throughout the world. The signs that can be found in landscapes are what interest me. I try to produce photographs that act as poetic images and documentations of processes at the same time and are relevant to all of us.”
