Amelie Koerbs looks at human connection with those closest to us
Photography is a wonderful way of shining light on topics we were unaware lived in darkness. The projects photographers create can teach us new ideas and take us down pathways we previously didn’t think about. It’s the photographers that take me to new corners of humanity that really stand out to me – Berlin-based Amelie Koerbs is one of them.
I see you in me and me in you is a focus on siblings. It began as Koerbs, a twin, began to photograph herself and her sister with the aim of further understanding the dynamics of their relationship. Koerbs soon began to branch out, connecting with other siblings who were willing to have their portrait taken together.
There’s something moving about two people, so closely connected, being together while being vulnerable in front of a camera – it’s beautiful, really.
This subject matter isn’t one I have come across before and I was intrigued to learn the motivation behind it. Koerbs very kindly agreed to do an interview with Them Frames to discuss the project in greater detail.
Them Frames: What was the initial inspiration to start the I see you in me and me in you project?
Amelie Koerbs: The initial inspiration comes from looking back on how my sister and I were regarded by everyone else around us while growing up. As a twin you get lots of comparisons you didn't ask for. No matter how much you fight against these preconceived ideas others have of yourself and your relationship I eventually found myself in between their perception, my own and my sister´s.
Being separated from each other when we both moved out of our parents' home, I experienced for the first time being seen as just me. That led to me to start questioning our relationship: What is true of how people see us? And what´s my sister´s and my own view on our relationship?
Them Frames: What has this project taught about your experience as a twin and your relationship with your sister? How do you imagine it will evolve over time?
Amelie Koerbs: I see you in me and me in you is far from being finished. With my approach of taking portraits of other siblings and close friends I was hoping to get closer to understanding my very own relationship with my twin sister. But honestly, I think it didn't work for me. I only noticed that I started projecting however I saw my relationship with my sister onto my subjects. So, really I wasn't open to seeing their unique relationship or learning from it.
The beginning of this project taught me that I need another method to portray my experience as a twin and my relationship with my sister. But I also don't want to hide the fact that my first approach “didn't work”. Overall it's a process and as with any research sometimes it needs “failure” to actually be able to see another way.
So, I see this project as an on-going project to discover new approaches. Currently, I am looking at archive pictures and am thinking of including text as well. I´m also still in the process of brainstorming ideas for the next images.
Them Frames: Did you discover any interesting similarities/differences in terms of traits and interests between your sibling subjects? Can you share some?
Amelie Koerbs: I don´t know if I got the question right… But often I was astonished by their closeness and intuitive way of how they moved together in front of the camera, although some of them were “just” close friends.
Regardless of their age difference there was also this non-verbal communication which I found interesting and I experienced it as a great privilege that they let me into their space. This space they let me in as the photographer I see as being very precious and fragile. But this constructed relationship applies to every person I create a portrait with.
Them Frames: Please, can you tell us about how you selected your subjects and how you planned the aesthetics of the shoots?
Amelie Koerbs: I found my subjects through friends and friends of friends but also through the platform Couchsurfing which gave me an opportunity to reach a broader audience. I would just post an event that I'm looking for twins, siblings or very close friends and then people would start texting me.
The way I planned the shoots heavily depended on my subjects. I usually would ask them to bring a set of clothes so we can go through them together and decide on an outfit. The location I chose depended on where they would feel comfortable.
It was a collaborative process. The only thing I carefully planned was the light (as much as I was able to - the weather can change easily)
Them Frames: Much of your work is B&W but this series is almost exclusively color. Is this intentional? If so, why?
Amelie Koerbs: A lot of my work is analog and I like to use black and white film. For I see you in me and me in you I'm using my digital camera since it was easier to do self portraits with my sister, which were the starting point of this project. So, the digital medium opened up the opportunity of using color.
I learned that color can help me to emphasize on certain things in a relationship using matching or opposing colors of clothes. So, I decided on color. But I must say I´m very careful with using color as I don't want it to distract from the expression on the faces.
Them Frames: If you could pick a song to be the soundtrack to your body of work, which would it be and why?
Amelie Koerbs: This one is difficult. I listen to a lot of music of different genres, it could be Hip Hop, Afro Beats, Pop or classical songs. Regardless of the genre it would be a song in which one can lose oneself and start to think about whatever is going on in their heads.
That's what I try to achieve with my work: to look at my images and be provoked to think about one's own thoughts and relationship one has with other people or nature.
Them Frames: Finally, please finish this sentence: I need photography in my life because…
Amelie Koerbs: otherwise I would be lost. Photography is my tool to organize the chaos I find myself surrounded with in this world. Photography helps me to process things and enables me to look at things differently. Furthermore, it gives me the unique opportunity to get to know people with whom I might never have engaged with. I need photography in my life because it's my driving force.
You can see more work by Amelie Koerbs by visiting her website, Instagram and YouTube.
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