At the Art Cologne 2023 art fair, Galerie Julian Sander showed works by Cologne artist Chargesheimer (1924 – 1972), including one of his “Meditation Mills”. Born Karl Heinz Hargesheimer, he studied graphic design and photography at the Cologne Werkschule and began his career as a freelance photographer for various theaters in Germany. The focus of his photographic oeuvre is “street photography”. Mostly in series, they tell the story of street life in his home city of Cologne and other cities. His documentary work includes above all his portraits, which are closely linked to the visual language of theater photography. His portraits are often drastically exaggerated, theatrical and mask-like. Chargesheimer plays with light and shadow as well as light-dark contrasts, creating deep, matte blacks.

From 1950 onwards, Chargesheimer experimented with abstract light graphics on photographic paper and surrealistic photomontages. In the 1960s, he created kinetic light sculptures made of movable Plexiglas and steel elements, which he described as “meditation mills”.

The gallery showed one of his kinetic sculptures at Art Cologne 2023. As an artist, Chargesheimer was a singular figure who consistently refused to follow trends and fashions in art. At the end of the 1940s, he was in contact with the “fotoform” group. In 1950 Chargesheimer took part in the “photo-kino” exhibition in Cologne and the legendary “Subjective Photography” exhibitions in 1952 and 1954. He refused to belong to any particular group of artists or movement and saw himself as a loner.
(Source: Website Gallery Julian Sander)

Chargesheimer: Meditationsmühle / Galerie Julian Sander, Art Cologne 2023. November 16, 2023.

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