Dressed in B/W

This photographic base was shot in Cologne, Germany.

Printed on Fine Art Hahnemühle Hemp Natural Line 290 g/m2.

Each print comes signed and numbered. 

Unframed. With a small white border. Send in a tube.

Print size 90 x 75 cm - Edition of 10

Print size 60 x 50 cm - Edition of 10.

Print size 30 x 25 cm - Edition of 10.

Print size 10,5 x 14,8 cm (DIN A6) - Open Edition.

A Dance of Shadows – Where Light Draws Lines Leading to Infinity."

Thomas Haensgen's Dressed in B/W is not just a photograph; it’s a statement, an optical poem that, at first glance, plays with contrasts and, upon deeper reflection, explores the philosophical depths between light and darkness. It’s as if someone convinced a zebra to enter a nightclub, only to discover there’s no music—just a silent, pulsating dialogue between space and projection.

The flowing black-and-white lines that envelop the body like a second skin evoke the iconic Op-Art of the 1960s, particularly the hypnotic works of Victor Vasarely. Yet, Haensgen transcends pure optical illusion. Here, the stripes are not just geometric experiments; they become narrative elements. They seem to breathe, to dance, almost as if adapting in real time to the body’s form—like a whimsical chameleon that has decided to stay minimalist.

The vast darkness that dominates the image invites interpretation. Is it the emptiness we feel when the fridge offers no midnight solace? Or is it the profound stillness that emerges only in moments of absolute isolation? It’s as if the body, cloaked in lines, dances on the edge between physical presence and metaphysical dissolution. And then there’s the hand—gleaming, partially visible, like a vague memory of someone you saw in a dream, only to wake and realize it was your own shadow.

This photograph could belong in a minimalist or body-study exhibit, yet it defies easy classification. It’s art that doesn’t take itself too seriously but impresses with every detail. Dressed in B/W feels like the visual embodiment of an unnameable emotion—like the first time you realize the stripes on your shirt align perfectly with the lines of the sofa you’re sitting on. A kind of unintentional synchronicity that’s as absurd as it is beautiful.

Haensgen taps into a universal experience: the yearning for structure amidst chaos. But in this work, he does something extraordinary. He demonstrates that even the simplest elements—light, darkness, lines—can form a complex narrative that not only fascinates but invites the viewer to get lost within it. And the best part? It feels like having a conversation with an old friend who explains why everything and nothing matters at once—and you nod along, even if you don’t fully understand.