Photographer Creates Giant Wave Sculptures from Deadwood in Hamburg Forest
Photographer Jörg Gläscher crafts captivating wave-like formations using deadwood collected from the forest floor. These massive installations seem to rise naturally from the serene woodland landscape in Hamburg, blending harmoniously with their surroundings.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the work, Gläscher shared, “In autumn 2020, the fear of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic dominated daily life in Germany. Amidst widespread government restrictions and personal uncertainty, I was drawn to explore the raw power of nature—the unstoppable force capable of bringing one of the world’s wealthiest nations to a complete standstill.”
More info: Instagram | JörgGläscher
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Gläscher explains, “So I went into a forest near Hamburg, and from November 2020 to March 2021, I built all these waves myself—nine in total. I only used what we call deadwood; I didn’t cut down a single tree. The largest one, Wave No. 8, stood nearly 4 meters high and 9 meters wide. After photographing each installation, I dismantled it to reuse the material for the next one.”
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In a statement expanding on the deeper meaning behind his installations, Gläscher reflected, “A wave is a periodic oscillation or a unique disturbance in the state of a system. Observations are diverse, personal, and not always transferable—they can be experienced in many different ways. A perceived object can have an impact in countless forms. Is it standing still? Has it moved? Nothing is ever as it seems. Are appearances deceptive? Not necessarily. They carry me, wash over me, swirl within me, make me anxious, retreat, and then surge toward me again.”
He continued, “‘That can’t be,’ says the left side of my brain. ‘But I see and feel it,’ replies the right. I can walk through them, pause them, touch them—but then everything halts, stuck in place. I have to let go. And then, standing upright, the second wave crashes over me. It is unique—it was unique. I lift my head, embrace it, and recognize the vibration, the familiar sensation. With that, the fear begins to fade. If another wave comes, I’ll be ready.”
