“Through the recognizability of the materials and my…analogue approach, the constructed worlds oscillate between being realistically overwhelming and revealing of their artificiality, causing and dissolving expectations and emotions.”
—Sonja Braas
In Tornado, 2005, German photographer Sonja Braas presents an image of the raw power and beauty of nature's fury. This work is part of The Quiet of Dissolution series (2004–2010) that explores the representation of natural catastrophes through methodically constructed images that vividly depict the dramatic effects of such events. With her meticulous composition, attention to detail and mastery of analogue techniques, Braas transforms the chaotic energy of a tornado into a tableau of wonder and trepidation. Braas reveals that the images are not of nature itself but rather of models, carefully built and photographed in her studio. Her images create an ambiguity that invites viewers to question their perception of nature and to contemplate the ways in which we create and interpret images of the natural world. Braas’ photographs waver between a romanticized view and a stark portrayal of the irreversibility and conflict shaping the natural world.
Braas’ work is held in many institutions internationally including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Fotomuseum Witnterthur, Switzerland as well as exhibited extensively over the last twenty years including her solo show at the prestigious Kunsthalle Göppingen in Germany in 2010.
