In the photo series ‘Just the two of us’, <\/strong>Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler<\/strong> aims at highlighting the huge variety of traditional costumes from Europe & Asia which are still worn by people on special occasions. Dressing up into unusual costumes for special\u00a0traditional celebrations\u00a0has been an integral part in many societies for centuries.<\/p>\n

Irrespective of the motivational factor, be it cultural, fandom<\/a>, a prop for a game, or a ‘reinvention of one\u2019s own identity’, in each case, the person wears a mask and transforms himself\/ herself into an altogether different character.\u00a0“This increasing desire for\u00a0transformation, the creation of a kind of parallel reality and identity, can without a\u00a0doubt be related to increasingly difficult circumstances in society. Therefore,\u00a0dressing up and related activities can, in this context, be regarded as a temporary\u00a0withdrawal from civil life.” explains Klaus Pichler.<\/p>\n

The selection of a\u00a0certain mask is a conscious decision, which is mostly based on the passion for a\u00a0thematic background of a costume or the identification\u00a0with character traits of the individual figure. The sheer amount of time which is\u00a0invested in the creation of handmade costumes is evidence of the fact that the\u00a0decision to dress as a certain character is usually well thought through. Therefore,\u00a0each costume indirectly conveys information about the person behind it.<\/p>\n

In this photo series, Pichler shot people dressed in elaborate costumes in the setting of their own homes. Pichler explains, “The choice of location is not a coincidence: Nowhere else is the\u00a0(abstract) link between the person behind the mask and his or her alter ego as visible\u00a0as in their own home. Nowhere else would it have been possible to portray the mask\u00a0and, figuratively speaking, the person behind it on the same picture.” The subjects, who are mostly clad in full body costumers were photographed quietly while being indulged in their daily routine activities. “This setting allows the person behind the masquerade to shine\u00a0through- the home and the individual activity are \u2018themselves\u2019 and the activities are\u00a0not exactly what would normally be expected of the character the costume portrays.” says Pichler.<\/p>\n

The setting intends to spark certain questions: \u00a0Why did the person choose this\u00a0particular costume? Does the decoration style of the home give any kind of clues?\u00a0And, most importantly, Who on this earth is hidden\u00a0behind the mask?<\/p>\n

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+ Klaus Pichler<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In the photo series ‘Just the two of us’, Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler aims at highlighting the huge variety of traditional costumes from Europe & Asia which are still worn by people on special occasions. Dressing up into unusual costumes for special\u00a0traditional celebrations\u00a0has been an integral part in many societies for centuries. Irrespective of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[5337,6745,6746,6748,6747],"yoast_head":"\n