Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek creates authentic, unvarnished images that get to the heart of the matter. He provides an insight into the small worlds people create for themselves – they are self-sufficient microcosms, which serve them as a habitat for like-minded people who indulge in the same passion.
A silent observer with an instinct for situational precision, Gebhart de Koekkoek approaches scenes as diverse as winter campers, body builders and Jehova Witnesses, using the camera as his access medium that allows him to absorb the idiosyncrasy and specific visual culture of the social environments through which he moves. Some of the man-made refuges he enquires in may appear odd, yet they are a firm part of the world we live in. Without judging Gebhart de Koekkoek creates sensitive portraits of the diversity of personal expression and concepts of life that exist in our time.
Before setting off on his own path as a photo artist, Gebhart de Koekkoek worked at Magnum Photos. He has been included in several independent art publications and exhibited throughout Europe, Asia and The United States. His first book The World We Live In got published by art book publisher Kehrer in late 2013 and was honored with the “PDN Photo Annual” award in 2014. Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek lives and works in Vienna.
