Josef Hoflehner

The worldwide recognition he has received attests to the tremendous impact of his work. This Austrian photographer, who has been shooting primarily, though not exclusively, in black and white for over 40 years, captures surreal moments in his photos.

Reductions and overexposures help him discover special elements and draw both technical and substantive contrasts between the spectacular and the banal. His subjects--everything from peaceful, expansive Icelandic landscapes that look like paintings to jets coming in for a landing just above people's heads--fascinate the viewer.

Even more astoundingly, all of these contrasting facets of nature and technology bear Hoflehner's distinct stamp. No matter what topic Hoflehner is skillfully weaving a photographic narrative around, his work exudes incredible serenity and focus. Maybe that's what we find so compelling. Whether it's a photo of a New York skyline or a Malaysian tea plantation, his images have a soothing, contemplative effect on the viewer, although there is also a painful undertone of transience and social criticism.

Waiting for the Sun the artists' first full-color book, is a dedication to the golden era of the American automobile industry. The 1960s and 70s arguably saw some of the best-designed cars to ever leave a manufacturing plant. Once seen bumper-to-bumper throughout the country, these automobiles are a rare sight on U.S. roads today.

Over the past five years, we have driven across America, from coast to coast, along miles of highway and through countless neighborhoods, searching for vintage automobiles. Whether covered in snow during a winter Nebraska night, or shining in the sun of the Nevada desert, to us, these cars perfectly fit the American landscape.' - from the introduction by Jakob Hoflehner. The Hollywood-movie-like, but completely unstaged, photographs immediately take us back some 30 or 40 years in time, as the photographers were very selective and made great efforts to avoid most modern amenities and surroundings in their works.

Bound in yellow vinyl, Waiting for the Sun is published in a limited edition of 999 oversized hardcover copies.