Oliver Raschka - Tween

Bummbumm Books 2023

In his new book “TWEEN,” Oliver Raschka explores the intense period between childhood and becoming an adult. The black-and-white photographs depict a balancing act between separation and intimacy, change and continuity, restlessness and stillness. Everyday scenes capture moments of washing up dishes, gaming, and lounging on the sofa. At times, he portrays the brothers as thoughtful and introspective. Then they climb trees, dance, engage in arm wrestling, or conquer wild waters together. The boys are always hungry for action and speed. For those familiar with the photographs from his previous book “THE WORLD AIN’T ENOUGH...,” “TWEEN” offers a familiar sphere. It‘s fun to discover the same hair clipper, the same camper van, and the same wrestling mask as three years ago ... And yet, everything is different.

The "Tween" years documented by Raschka from 2020 to 2023 are also the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. For young people like Philip and Justus, the personal challenges of puberty intersect with school closures and lockdowns.

A war in the heart of Europe, climate anxiety, and an ever-changing environment with no guarantees for a good future are constant themes.

Oliver Raschka's long-term photographic project also shows that life is a mosaic of fleeting moments. Time never stands still. For him and his sons, this means one thing above all: growing together, both with each other and alongside each other - and capturing the moments - sensitively and empathetically. That is Raschka's great strength. Nothing is staged; everything is true, and as a viewer, you are invited to participate.

As a father who documents the lives of his own children through photography, Raschka fills a gap in contemporary art photography. Starting with Käthe Buchler, through Sally Mann to Katharina Bosse, the focus on one's own children has been predominantly influenced by women.

Raschka gives us an insight into an explicitly male perspective on childhood, youth, and parenthood in a time when nothing seems certain anymore. In doing so, he reflects on constructions of masculinity, his own childhood, and his role as a father.

"For me as a parent, the focus is now no longer on parenting but on guidance and support."

Oliver Raschka accompanies his sons through the absurdities of everyday life - as a father and as a photographer. Unpretentious and authentic, but always gentle and full of respect, he photographs his sons as the individuals they are at that moment.

Page count: 128 Pages Print: Duotone print Copies: 300