Forest

With regard to this historical and cultural continuity, that obviously reflects the sentiment of large parts of the population, and their fears and illusions Erik Niedling‘s forest images seem sobering, unsentimental and disillusioning. That is why they will hardly ever be used as an overall concept for the Thuringian Board of Tourism. They may, however, serve as an aspirin after many nights of gazing into a campfire or after a tranquil boat outing across foggy lakes early in the morning. Niedling‘s view of the forest also strengthens our critical awareness of the actual facts precisely at the moment, when our latent uneasiness with civilization and the power of our desires and projections once again threaten to undermine our critical awareness. He makes us aware of the limits, most of all our own, thereby possibly smoothing the way towards a real change in circumstances. (Excerpt from Erik Niedling – Fotografien / Photographs, Text by Kai Uwe Schierz, Schaden, Cologne, 2006)