Photographer

Born in a little Italian town, nestled in a valley at the foot of the Alps, Karl Locher’s intimate love and understanding of the natural world grew as he did. This awe-inspiring environment was the catalyst to him becoming a photographer, which he later pursued after leaving Italy for England in 1988. In a bid to retain his own heritage and embrace this new world in front of him, Karl bought himself an SLR camera, which proved not up to the task of capturing his keen observations. This began a 17-year journey into the art of photography, leading to this, the launch of Karl’s first collection.

Over the years, Karl has taught himself and amassed an extensive library of 3,000 images, which have never been seen. Karl is not sure why he does it, he can’t help himself. He is incredibly patient and a slave to detail; essential qualities for a successful wildlife and landscape photographer. An afternoon stroll can turn into a wildlife search and find mission in the blink of Karl’s eye. He states unphased, “If you can’t give an afternoon over to a dragonfly…there is no point.”

Karl is fast developing a visual language with his pictures, a language that describes a world of wonder. His first collection takes us around the Far East, Central Asia, Britain and Italy. Taken whilst travelling, images such as the ‘Setting Sun on Sukothai’ are compassionate and welcoming, inducing tranquillity and peace in the soul. Whilst through his photography of Britain and its wildlife, Karl expresses a deep affection and respect for his new homeland, delving into its romantic beauty and cherishing what we often take for granted. His process means he takes time to notice the beauty in detail; to separate and justify each colour in Scottish granite, to capture the majestic pose of a May Fly, or catch the sky’s reflection in the delicate eye of the Emperor Dragonfly. While in his photographs of the ‘Alps in the Early Morning’, Karl simultaneously captures the power and fragility of nature, reflecting his great love of this unique environment. It seems that over time, Karl’s sizable body of work has come to reflect a breathtaking study of the planet that produced him. A world he views with genuine and unfettered fascination.

Through his work, Karl Locher brings a new perspective to the way we classify our natural habitat. His images require us to take a second look at the seemingly familiar. Search our Online Store for ‘The Caterpillar Nest’ for example. At first glance, this initially confusing image soon betrays its freakish subjects, staring out to unsettle the viewer with their beady little eyes. Once locked by their gaze it’s hard to look away.  Karl’s work raises questions in the viewers mind, encouraging the pursuit of not only answers, but a new understanding of a world we thought we knew. His images allow us to escape from everyday life and explore the possibilities of nature in the raw, reminding us there is much yet to be discovered, and so much to protect.

To view samples of Karl’s work click on the Gallery. To see his current collection click here.

If you would like to view his work in person, click on Events to find out where his work is showing next. 

To keep updated on the development of Karl’s future projects click here.

For all Press queries please contact the Media Team.
  
All original artwork © 2006 Karl Locher
Website design and text © 2006 The Art Ministry