Jürgen Nefzger - Holzwege

The title Holzwege was inspired by a book published by Heidegger after World War II. Off the beaten track lie those paths opened by lumberjacks to extract timber from the forest. Heidegger turned them into a symbol of the loss of one's being. Roaming dead-end paths mirrors the fate of modern Man. For a brief period, the melancholy pictures of Creil reflect the German philosopher's existential pessimism. Their sadness becomes the expression of a loss.
Holzwege raises the issue of borders. Urban culture is better understood on the outskirts of the city.
For roving photographer Jürgen Nefzger, the remote paths of Creil are a destination. Every picture conveys the journey that led to its making; the shot is the final stage in a spatial search. In Creil, he found a path that leads off the beaten track – and nowhere else.

Extract from the essay “In Praise of Defect” by Christophe Catsaros

“Holzwege” by Jürgen Nefzger was produced during the winter of 2008 during an artist residency organised by Diaphane. The Creil industrial area lies in Picardy, 60km north of Paris.