surface
The Photobook »surface« was created as part of my bachelor thesis and examines the relationship between skateboarding and architecture. Skateboarders, unlike the typical pedestrian, perceive space in a more conscious and intense way. Objects such as benches, stairs, curbs or rails are used differently by the skater than had been intended by the architects.
This conquest and creative use of urban space is a central part of skateboard culture. Inconspicuous marks (left behind by wax, rubber wheels, metal trucks, or wood) mostly go unnoticed, or are perceived as criminal damage and vandalism. They show an imprint of the rhythmic movements that the skateboarder leaves on the urban surface. Depending on the speed, angle, movement and materials, different structures are created. Once a spot is marked by these traces, future skaters will pay attention to the place, and out of small scratches and streaks, complex patterns arise.
