Peter Koellerer - Bundesstrasse 1

Peter Koellerer

Bundesstrasse 1 – Limited edtion book+print, 2009

The Vienna base photographer Peter Koellerer has just published a great new book and is offering a special edition print. Peter was born in Linz in the 70’s. You can’t make a sentence much more mundane than that last one. Peter is not mundane at all, nor is the act of being born, but Linz in the 70’s pretty much takes the cake for being one of the least spectacular places in one of the least exciting times in Austria. Obviously I am speaking out of history, not direct experience, as I wasn’t here, but I drive past the remnants of this lackluster time when Austria, especially Upper Austria, was just happy to have the industry back on its feet and style and urban planning were about as odd a consideration as, say, building a navy. My wife is from this area and the “B1” or “State Highway 1” is the main artery through this region. “Boring 1” is what we call it, but I’m sure there was also a time, though I can’t remember it, when I found Lewis Baltz and Rober Adams boring.

In a much reduced form, this may be the equivalent of driving route 66, but without the epic flavor.

What is nice about the title is that every state or country must, if it has at least one state highway, have a “Highway 1” so it somehow becomes not universal, but certainly a European theme. It all has to start somewhere. Peter spent several years commuting along this road , I would love to know when and, for heaven’s sake, why he decided to stop and take a picture. I’m just glad he did. I can’t say I will be thrilled to motor along the B1 in the future, but I will surely pay a bit more attention.

Peter took the time to stop, ponder, and make a photograph, 3 things I have never done, but now kind of wish I had.

There are about 150 images, all b/w and square, somehow fitting, and just abstract enough to make them timeless.