Michael von Hassel is quite unpretentious, “Every series is something new, and so are these. Then something comes into being, and sometimes what comes out of it is quite okay. Then we’re happy.”
With these humble words, the Munich-based photo artist describes his work on the picture series he has created in cooperation with Mercedes-AMG. Their creation is by no means as simple as the artist describes it — on the contrary — it is extremely elaborate. The result of the creation process is by no means just “quite okay”, but a breathtaking, unique style, which he himself calls “hyperrealism”.
Since the first rock paintings of the Stone Age, many artists have strived to reproduce reality in their works in the most perfect way possible. Michael von Hassel dares to think outside the box and goes a step further. He has set himself the goal of giving his pictures “MORE of reality”. Thus, he makes himself independent of traditional patterns. Von Hassel’s pictures overwhelm with a richness of facets in which the viewer loses himself. The detailed study of his works always reveals new details that expand the reality of every day life and add new dimensions. Thus, Michael von Hassel not only exaggerates reality but also discovers new worlds from every perspective.
From the search for the right camera angle to image editing, printing, and delivery, von Hassel personally takes care of every step in the production of his works. This means that he is very close to the “One Man – One Engine” philosophy of Mercedes-AMG. Here and there, patience and precision are required. He often sits for weeks on post-editing a photo. Once they have been printed in large format, they are laminated behind diamond white glass — a process he developed himself together with his team. Only this way he can guarantee optimum material quality and thus the longevity of his artworks. As a detail-obsessed person the choice of a frame that perfectly matches the picture is the next important step. The new piece of art is only complete once Michael von Hassel has found it. If he finds the result “quite okay” — then he is happy. And we are, too!
If you are enthusiastic about the AMG artworks, too, you can find out more about the limited editions here at von Hassel’s gallery.
Learn more about the cooperation between Michael von Hassel and Mercedes-AMG here.
