André Rival
The Berlin photographer André Rival likes to photograph himself together with famous people. In this private peep show, the public display of the famous is de-mystified in a sympathetic way—and the subjects freed from their usual idealisation. Rival’s calculated appearances, which—like any good clown—show a healthy ignorance of the rules of taste, lend the icons ofthe media world human contours that are rarely otherwise seen. By reducing media stars such as Harald Schmidt, Hannelore Elsner and Wolfgang Joop to the status of a walk-on part in his professional lay drama, Rival allows them to appear almost authentic, despite their well-practised poses. Since the beginning of the nineties, André Rival has been working as a freelance photographer for newspapers and magazines. He has mastered his craft and carries out each assignment with absolute professionalism. His un-Prussian manner of not just having fun at his work but also capturing that in his pictures quickly made him the most sought-after portrait photographer among stars and celebrities. André Rival has also made a name for himself in the field of documentary and landscape photography.