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photo credit: Aaron Perkins
Carsten Burmeister, bio. and mission statement, writing:
My quest as an artist is to document my world and to comment on life. I began writing my essays in 1987. From the start I have worked on them every day and night; in fact, all but every minute of every day and every night. The book is not finished - it never will be, “an essay (a poem) is never finished, only abandoned” (Paul Valéry); “has anybody ever finished anything?” (Leonardo da Vinci). Yet, I herewith hand my life’s work over to you, dear reader.
This is my response to the likely criticism of my writings: (other than photo-graphy) I have formally studied nothing; I am a follower of nothing and I know nothing - except the fact of my frivolity. My writings are frivolous by design; I prefer flippant succinctness over learned elaboration, controversy over pre-dictability, the wicked over the banal. I copy and acquire with abandon, see ECLECTICISM, hence my book is ‘open source’ (conditions apply).
I quote selectively - often out of context; I may give a quote or a phrase a new meaning - to create a new reality. I may challenge, contradict or distort truths - to make a point … while always bearing in mind the principle of uncertainty. One of Bertrand Russell’s commandments (p. 110) is most pertinent in the context of my writings: “Do not fear to be eccentric with your opinions.” I cherish that idea of ‘no fear’; this saying epitomises the spirit of my work.
Mission statement: I like to think things through thoroughly (see p. 48); I wish to inspire readers to think about things as they never thought about them before. I trust my writings are thought provoking and a conversation starter (see p. 76).
My essays stand independently … while they are nevertheless interconnected. The book is designed for them to be read one by one, with the bonus that there are links to related essays; open it at random and allow yourself to be surprised.
Yes, do contact me - cb@carstenburmeister.com - with corrections of errors, they will be evaluated for the next edition; but please: Factual errors - yes; opinions - no. (Go ahead - write your own book!)
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Carsten Burmeister, bio. and mission statement, photography:
Do I have kids? You bet I do! Check out my boys Rad & Yani, their gym
995 Unity Gym is a Movement Gym
How does Unity Gym deal with weight loss?
and Saskia she also has a page on Wikipedia
598 Photography at its finest
This self-taught photographer shows pro-photographers a thing or two ...
I have been a pro photographer in the Sydney graphic arts scene since 1979. Born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1947, after my professional education during the late 1960s I spent two years in Amsterdam, Holland, and much of that time in the Rijksmuseum, studying the paintings of Dutch and Flemish masters. It is there I got the inspiration for my style of photography - light is used to maximum effect, composition is all-important and attention to detail reigns. With the arrival of digital photography and Photoshop, I was given the tools to finish my pictures to my liking and thus can fulfil my vision of evocative PHOTOART. My last stop in Europe was Copenhagen - then I travelled to Asia and settled in Australia.
for your entertainment, this is my promo video
produced for a 10 minute BNI presentation
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My background is still life photography, but I deem myself an urban photographer for my personal work; most pictures in PHOTOART are street shots from Sydney - I just roam the city, incessantly shooting with my Canon EOS 1Ds camera. Then I manipulate the pictures on my Apple MacBook Pro with Adobe PhotoShop. I abandoned film in early 1998 and have been a digital photographer ever since, both for my PHOTOART work and professionally.
Here you may also download a fact-sheet about the NO WAR incident involving the Opera House - check out my NO WAR - YES PEACE series. Furthermore, I also dabble in writing, don't miss my Pacifist Manifesto or indeed my en.light.en.ment book; go to my book shop ... for more on my history in photography, go to my Let's get technical page.
As an ad shooter - for 45 years - I was always in control, but also constrained. Now the chains are off. When I shoot my PHOTOART I'm free. I take chances; I love that process: Not to have to worry about the outcome while I shoot … whereas in my pro career the concept, the layout were all that counted.
Mission Statement
My quest as an artist is to document my
environment and to comment on life ... this is what I do: I read, watch and
listen ... then think, then write. I like to think things through
thoroughly and with my book en.light.en.ment I wish to inspire readers to think
about things as they never thought about them before.
en.light.en.ment ... the book, a new beginning, in the making since 1987
In 1987 I set off on a spiritual journey. The insights gained culminated in a 'panharmonicon' of 150 essays about words and numbers; life and death; spirituality and philosophy; war and peace; reality, truth, truthiness … consciousness, delusion, God, happiness, love, meditation, mind, passion, religion, Zen & enlightenment ... that sort of thing.
Additionally I have elaborated on my written essays in my blog ... I supplement my essays with blogs on specific subjects I write about in my book, and I also have started to provide readings of my essays as YouTube videos.
The Art Of Meditation
I have been a meditator for decades and now I have devised a meditation course and distilled it into a booklet; check it out.
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