AMMO was created in the fall of 2012 in Switzerland. The entire series consists of 900 images depicting different forms of ammunition from a private collection of cross-sections. The first time I saw these strange and alluring objects, I felt disarmed by their beauty and finesse. I was intrigued by the many different colors and designs, and by the craftsmanship and danger they emit. It is obvious that each design was carefully premeditated with a specific purpose in mind. It is hard to not think about the bitter tragedies some of these objects have caused in modern human history. 

I grew up in Austria where the trauma of WWII is still lingering in people’s souls. Since the war, neutrality has become a deeply ingrained aspect of Austrian identity. Warfare and weapons tend to have a negative connotation and the laws regulating firearms are fairly rigid and strict. My cultural background left me with an intense horror for anything related to weapons and war. 

Artist Bob Miller once said, “The worst disease afflicting humankind is hardening of the categories.” In photographing AMMO I had to confront my emotions and allow a softening of my personal categories.

While you cannot change another’s deeply rooted philosophy, you can make an effort towards understanding, rather than condemning another’s beliefs. I am currently completing work on this extensive archive and preparing the photographs for exhibition and publication.