I followed the yellow big footsteps.

So finally, after 7 months of schwarzfarhening*, the system got me too. It happened on a rainy Freitag, I was feeling kinda down and sorry for myself. One of those days when any illegal activity is highly unadvisable, remember, negative energy is highly contageous. But of course, live life to the fullest right? I didn't buy a ticket. And it happened on my favourite route as well! Just as the doors were about to shut at Warschauer Strasse and I was about to enjoy one of the best panoramic views of Berlin from the Watergate bridge (Oberbaumbrücke), two dodgy looking men walked in. Something in me skipped. I knew danger was in the air. And they pulled out their passes, like guns, and announced a bit louder than was needed, with complete unnecessary bravado, the search was on. Uh oh. Of course in my panicky state, my attempt at fumbling through my bag " searching" for my non-existent ticket was completely useless. And I cannot lie to save my life, so there was pretty much nothing else I could do but admit my crime, and try and swallow the embarrassment of being escorted off the train by these two weird looking men. They made the perfect couple by the way, shorty and fatso - a timeless classic. Ok, one final attempt to escape the inevitable - try to play the tourist. So I showed them my Cypriot passport and pretended like I was here on holiday. Yeah, sure, they probably heard that one a few times before, but my act was completely pathetic. Maybe if I was a better actor/liar, I'd have a chance. Monsieur Gaullier was definitely right, no use being an actor if you can't lie - if you don't really believe in what you play, who the hell will!?

So finally the myth of der Controllerman became a reality. 40 euros and all, I do consider myself quite lucky - this was the 2nd time I saw a real life controller, despite all the horror stories friends have been telling me about having been checked like 5 times a week. And the 1st wasn't even in the metro, but the tram, where escape is much easier. Of course, I am at an advantage, as my bike is my usual method of transport, so the probability of seeing one considerably decreases, but still, 7 months is quite an achievement.

What really did it for me though was the trip to the Penalty Office. They actually highlighted the walk of shame with big fat footsteps, bright yellow, with the big black BVG letters beaming like grinning faces, perfectly visible in all sorts of weather conditions. It's incredible, everywhere else the Germans are experts in the art of being subtle. Bright colours, standing out, making bold statements - big NO NOs, but when it comes to obiding the rules, they happily highlight them in the brightest of colours. As with all things Made in Germany, they hit the spot in the functions department this time too. The yellow footsteps definitely don't make you feel like the clever one.

Composition with yellow building in the background.

*Schwarzfarhen = literal translation "back going".
Schwarzfahrer = Abusive term for those who travel without a valid ticket.
Of course this word exists in the German language.


Further Seeing:

Schwarzfahrer.
Oscaring winning short film by Pepe Danquant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFQXcv1k9OM

Do not despair, it won't come to get you. Axel Hütte: Out of Darkness

Waddington Galleries could not have timed this one better. Featuring endless inhospitable tundra and caverns with sharp icy fangs, “Out of Darkness” by Axel Hütte presents nature at its rawest at a time when London is being hit by a natural disaster firsthand. Let not the recent blizzards scare you away however. If you have survived, and bagged a day off work with that, you will appreciate Hütte’s travels into obscure corners of the Earth in search of the sublime in some of the most untameable environments, all neatly tamed within the gallery frames.

A graduate of the Hilla&Bernd Becher school of thought, and former studio mate of Andreas Gursky, Hütte definitely retains the emphasis on sobriety. Despite their monumental scale, his photographs are intensely meticulous in detail; each twig is defined in the tangled green cobweb of the forest floor, creating a state of endlessness and sheer proximity. (Nitihant-2, Canada 2007) It is frightening to think what would happen if the bus broke down here… Devoid of people and narrative, Hütte’s landscapes are like rare white tigers in the zoo-- best appreciated through the safety net of the fence.

Yet despite the aggressive realism, there is also something very romantic, and almost soothing about Hütte’s work. It is like the mild tranquilising effect you get from starting at a Caspar David Friedrich, and never wanting to look away. Is it the common German Geist that knows how to hit the melancholic buttons? Perhaps it is the combination of both; Hütte’s choice of traditional equipment as well as subject matter which emanate such an intense effect. It is rather refreshing to see such large images produced via analogue means, in which one man attempts to conquer the forces of nature single-handedly. Aesthetically, Capulin Fire-1 Diptych 2007 is particularly pleasing; the dancing fiery flames let loose accompanied by drifting smoke are immaculately preserved. This is thanks to the Ditone process, in which the image is developed onto natural paper, allowing the fibres to add texture and emphasise the organic structure of a fire.

From the murky depths of forest foliage to flaming hot fires, to piercingly cold tundra, Hütte’s landscapes surely do not lack in geographical abundance. I left the exhibition with a longing for more. Isolation has never felt so alluring. Finally, for a complete visual kick, try compare and contrast, and before embarking on the Hütte’s travels, check out the new National Geographic collection-cum-store next door on Regent street first – the traditional travel photography on offer there, in the conventional A3 size, seems like coffee table literature compared to Hütte’s mammoths.