German Photographer Hendrik Bellstedt uncovers humor and beauty in ordinary day scenes and objects. Bellstedt draws inspiration from the European landscape, which he often travels via motorbike, searching for intriguing subjects. Originally from East Germany, Bellstedt practiced traditional black and white- photography techniques until after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. He currently practices digital photography using an intuitive process to capture intriguing portraits of inanimate objects, animals, and plants.

In “Breakup”, Bellstedt presents a deceptively simple scene. In the middle of the composition we see a trashcan supported by two long, leg-like metal bars. The can is heavily dented in the middle and leans to one side, as if recoiling from an injury. Bellstedt’s treatment of this object, places it in the viewer’s direct line of focus, giving it our full attention and concern. With this framing, Bellstedt anthropomorphizes the object, bestowing it with a relatable human story. The title “Breakup” adds an additional layer of meaning, giving the piece an overall feeling of both sentimentality and absurdity at once.