15 Margit Emmrichs Studie zur Pubertät und ihre Serie Berlin im Frühling sind erzählerisch aufgebaut. In anderen Werkgruppen verfolgt sie hingegen das Konzept einer Vergleichsstudie. 1972/73 zum Beispiel ermunterte sie Schüler*innen einer 7. bzw. 8. Klasse an einer Schule in Leipzig-Stötteritz, per Selbstauslöser im Abstand von einem Jahr zwei Selbstporträts von sich aufzunehmen, die auch Eingang in ihr Diplombuch fanden. Die Posen durften frei gewählt werden. Ein Kreidekreis markierte die Position. Die Fotografin selbst war zum Zeitpunkt der Aufnahme nicht im Raum. Nach eigenem Bekunden ging es ihr darum, den »Status der optischen Erscheinung […] innerhalb einer Gruppe […] zu einem bestimmten [historischen] Zeitpunkt« zu erkunden, ausgedrückt in Aspekten »wie Körperform, Kleidung, Frisur etc. […] Was erzählen Haltung, Blick und Gestus über das Ich zwischen Kindheit und Erwachsensein, die Anpassungsbestrebungen, die Unabhängigkeit, die unterschiedlichen Temperamente? Was erfahre ich durch die Wiederholung In 1983, and once again following German unification in 1993, Christian Borchert also devoted himself to the same theme in East Germany. In contrast to Emmrich, both of them worked in black and white. While Koelbl’s approach was similar to Emmrich’s, Borchert concentrated more on the people portrayed, depicting them using an en face approach and at the same time providing less contextual information, for example regarding the rooms’ size and furnishings. Margit Emmrich started working on Frauen in Festkleidern [Women in Festive Dresses] (p. 45–51) in the GDR (1977/78) and continued this series after her emigration in West Germany (1981/82). In this way, she also offers the opportunity for comparison across the German border. The women themselves chose the clothing and the space in their living room. Because a one-second exposure time was chosen by the photographer for conceptual reasons, the poses appear deliberately static, and, as a consequence, demonstrative. From a sociological and historical perspective, the Living Room Portraits as well as Women in Festive Dresses are important contemporary documents. The interior design, clothing, hairstyles and attitudes of the women wearing them reflect their individual as well as contemporary tastes. This demonstrates the strength of photography as a medium of social self-reflection. There is a balance between individuality and collectivity. The portraits of women in particular testify to the desire for individuality and taste. However, when comparing the individual images – especially when they are presented as tableaux – the personal individuality is relativized without being completely absorbed by the collective. With In Madagascar (2017), Margit Emmrich connects with her works from the 1970s and early 1980s in several respects (p. 52–57). Here, she also works with the aim of making a social documentary. Unlike her early work, however, these are not large-scale projects conceived in advance and based on research, but spontaneous individual images. The photographer is moving within an unfamiliar environment. The pictures are the result of looking at a culture that is foreign to her, albeit not entirely unknown.
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