Flowerbeds, refracted sunbeams and white school-girl-overknees. With her images the Berlin based photographer Miriam Marlene Waldner creates intimacy and nostalgia. She is a story-teller – about naive youth, the journey of growing up and finding oneself. Visually lining up with movies like Virgin Suicide or Lolita, Miriam Marlene captures real moments in often staged situations, using her analogue camera and showing her friends and family. She cherishes changes and time to make it everlasting. In times where everyone only uses their Instagram feed and online media library to catch moments, her work is for framing.
What’s your favourite shooting location in Berlin?
I really like little rose gardens in rich areas, also the buildings and rivers in Potsdam are super beautiful.
Your visual language is really nostalgic. Is there something your doing to carry yourself back into your childhood?
Yes, definitely. Most of my ideas, feelings and aesthetics are inspired by my childhood. For example girls in the same clothes or synchrony.. I have a twin sister and I really wanted to dress up the same, do the same things but she never wanted to wear the same dresses and we were the complete opposite. Also the movies I liked, fairy tales, being outside. I always lived in my own little world and the “real world” scared me a little bit . But when I put myself in this little fantasy I felt free and nothing could scare me. Everything was colorful, nice and calm.
The models for your editorials seem as if they are your friends. How do you build intimacy between them and the lens?
Often they are my friends, or family members.
One has the feeling to get to know you by looking at your photography. Is your personality how your photography appears?
Hmm, yes. I think so.. Doing art things to me means to express yourself! When you’re photographing or making art your personality or what you are growing up with is special. This is not stuff or trends that everyone else does cause you are the only one who’s like you.
Objects are skinned knees, plasters, nosebleeds. What’s that all about?
Not just nice things have something beautiful and interesting for me. Everything just nice and good is boring for me.
If your photography was a screenshot of a film. Which film would it be?
I wish The Virgin Suicides or Picnic at Hanging Rock. Both are my all time favorite movies. Oh and Kids is also pretty cool.
With which group of people would you wish to do a pub tour – whether they are alive, fictional or just super famous?
Only with Mr Bean.
Music- or fashion-photography?
Wieners.
Do you have a treasure-chest? What’s in it?
I collect small thinks people lost in a box. Like hair clips, cent pieces, buttons etc.
Would there be a reason for which you would leave Berlin forever?
If I could have my own little shop with everything I like. Music, movies, clothes, books. Things you don’t need but just funny and look good in a flat.
Photography by Miriam Marlene Waldner
Also check out Miriam Marlenes Instagram
By Nele Tüch
