OH! DARLING with Uwe Buschmann

1.
A good heart is one of the most attractive qualities a person can have. Yet only the beautiful or the boss’s not so beautiful nephew always get what they want. That’s the worst thing on our planet. I’m sure you all agree. It’s even worse than sharing your last slices of pizza with someone you really despised. Wait a minute. Maybe there is still hope. Maybe there is a little bit of justice after all. ub

What you see is what you get?
denise krentz. This is a favorite picture because it reminds me of my daughter. She used to have a kaleidoscope in her room. It inspired the series. Full of color and imaginative.

2.
You are born. You grow up. You meet lousy schoolteachers. You work for half a century. You get a golden handshake. You feed pigeons for a couple of years. And then you die. Sitting on your wobbly cloud you’re wondering: Did I enjoy life? What’s the point? Here is some advice from a dear old friend (and I wholeheartedly agree): it’s important to have fun. Roll a tire down a hill. And roll a second tire down the hill. And another one… a little bit of fun every day. ub.

Why are the Beatles still more popular than today’s girl groups taken together?
iris brosch. Because we are living in a patriarchy system where we always support and promote male ideas more than feminine spirit!

3.
There’s nothing like a nice trip at the end of a tough week. Relaxing and socializing combined can be absolute ecstasy. But when it comes to packing your bag, what should be a simple act, often turns into a torturous algebra of what you really need and how many things you own. And you feel the suffering the moment you realize that your most beloved possessions can’t come with. The cuddly toy, the Chesterfield Sofa and the big record collection, they all have to stay home. You are never ok with this. Not even on the run and wanted dead or alive by the police or your ex-lover. ub.

Your most amazing journey?
toni meyer. This photo is from a series for which I travelled to different metropolitan areas and megacities to portray them by photographic collage. If I were to choose the “most amazing” among them, it would be São Paulo – my own private Metropolis.

4.
Life is filled with precious moments. But our ability to remember all those moments decreases over time. Of course, you can keep an accurate account of everything that is happening in your life with your cell phone. However, this can be found time consuming and very exhausting. Soon you are too tired to get your work done and you lose your job. You become a homeless person with nothing to eat. And what’s even worse, you don’t know where to charge your cell phone anymore. Now you are looking into the abyss of losing access to the memory card and all your precious moments will be lost in time. ub.

A good idea is a good idea forever?
andrea herzog. In my point of view a good idea for a photo is all about the sensitivity to a particular moment. A photo represents a single second of life. It’s more important to capture that second than to run after a „good idea“. Photos that touched me always transported a mood or a certain emotion, situation or a second in the centuries.

5.
The positives of becoming invisible in your daily life are endless. But most people seem to avoid it at all cost. They dress up, wear fancy colors and use every occasion to make a speech. They visit karaoke bars knowing that their singing voices can raise the dead, without a care in the world. Invisibility is golden. It’s useful when your date is an unpretty person or in a bank robbery, when they start casting the hostages. Invisibility is the glue that bonds the fans of Frodo and Gollum, invisibility is the unshiny armor that shields us from seeing our worst tattoo fails. Living a less visible life is quite tempting, even if you are sure that marrying a chameleon will never be an option, regardless of your financial situation. ub.

Why do we like games?
sabine hartl. They’re fun! For most games are like chocolate: a guilty pleasure consumed secretly. When playing games, the only limits are the rules you’ve agreed to, you can modify and change them at will, easily creating more playful experiences. So let’s play…

6.
There haven’t always been this many ugly buildings on our planet. A long time ago, Earth was a lush green paradise. But ever since architects came along and cultivated unspoiled virgin landscapes, Earth has been a casualty of builders and their ravenous appetite for over-development. But sometimes Mother Nature tries to halt urban sprawl with earthquakes, tornados and floods. Or by YouTube videos, featuring real cuties like turtles or a baby sloth. So we instantly see how beautiful wildlife can be. We are more and more alienated from simple life. Taking action could help: get rid of your recent bank statements. Keep your old love letters. Avoid sunburns. Worry about the government. ub.

What will life be like in the year 3000?
martin fengel. Humanity has wiped out around 60 percent of all mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. By the year 3000 humans will be gone, for the remaining creatures and plants this will be a blessing. Perhaps two birds in love will be wondering what cages are.
_Uwe Buschmann (Copy editing Silvia Strauch)