How it began
It all began in 1981 at the Jazz Spring Music Festival in Vienna. I was given my first photo assignment and a backstage pass.
And backstage I was.
I photographed from behind the scenes, so to speak. Afraid of the limelight. That’s how my collection of famous backs came about… ;o)
But I grew more courageous…
PUBLICATIONS
My black and white photos repeatedly filled the showcases of theatres and programs, appeared in Austrian daily newspapers and on magazine covers. At that time, toghether with Wolfgang Grossebner, I also produced the illustrated book “Die Heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe” (“St. Joan of the slaughterhouses”), a photo documentation of the legendary production of Bertolt Brecht’s play at the Ensembletheater am Petersplatz in Vienna.
Photo book: “Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses”
Bertold Brecht. Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses. Photographic observations by Dagmar Bartik (my name before my marriage) and Wolfgang Grossebner. Following a performance by the Ensembletheater directed by Dieter Haspel. Vienna, 1983. Antiquarian available via booklooker or zvab.com
ALL AROUND THE WORLD
At some point in my life I discovered the joy of travelling and the camera became my indispensable companion. From then on, distant landscapes and people from foreign countries were the subjects of my photography. Color became an important means of expression for me.
I photograph without intention, for the sheer joy and curiosity of what I do, and always with the desire to capture and hold on to moments, to take them out of the flow of time and save them from transience. Creating “moments that last” – that’s what the exciting game with the camera allows me to do. I like unadulterated, purist photography. No color filters or reflectors, no flash. Equipment: Olympus Cameras.
