Gerhard Franz

Gerhard Franz created a photographic series about a trip to the USA. Each photograph breathes an almost American atmosphere; the insignia of American civilization catch the eye. Perhaps the average tourist would have a stronger preference for the country’s scenic and architectural beauty. But the artist is young; he has grown up in an image of the USA influenced by cinema, television, advertising and literature, so the American obsession that his photographs seem to radiate is not surprising.
The verb »seem« was chosen on purpose. For what Franz presents is a fictitious journey across the Atlantic; no picture has been taken where it claims to have been taken. Everything is false.
from: Klaus Honnef, FOTOHOF Info, issue 1/1983