CHRISTIAN VON ALVENSLEBEN

STORIES

"THE LEOPARD'S TRAIL 1962/63"

Complete online exhibition : 62 images here

In the autumn of 1962, the 21 year old Christian von Alvensleben started out on his first great journey. With an image of Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa" in his mind's eye and a Leica in his luggage he set off for Mozambique.

Once he arrived in the Portuguese colony with its immense animal kingdom he was forced to realize that the paradise he was expecting no longer existed. Hunting parties from Europe and the USA were in the process of turning the landscape into a cemetery. Christian von Alvensleben captured this dying, this 'first death' for him, on film over a two year period. Then he became disassociated from the senseless agony of the wonderful animals, from the perversion of these hunts. He took portrait photos of the rich hunters in the hour of their doubtful triumphs.

In photography Christian von Alvensleben becomes partial. His photographs demonstrate his empathy for and sympathy with the animals. The black and white photographs taken 30 years ago and carefully reproduced in duotone appear strangely antiquated and reminiscent of photography from the 19th century. They seem to have been taken from old plates as if creatures were being shown which man made extinct a long time ago.

Christiane Breustedt, Editor in Chief, GEO / September 1993

The presentation is part of a series of different "STORIES" from the artist's archive.

All presented online:

NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS (244 images and text)

THE LEOPARD’S TRAIL (62 photo and text)

MOVING TARGETS (35 images and text)

MEMORIES OF FRANCE (26 images and text)

DARIUSZ MICHALCZEWSKI (224 images and text)

MOTORCYLCES (54 images and text)

THE TOYS OF TOMI UNGERER (43 photos and text)