Ute Mahler - The Same Sky

This book presents a wide selection of the pictures that made her famous, first in the GDR photographing for the legendary fashion and culture magazine „Sibylle“, then in unified Germany and later on more and more internationally with exhibitions in The Hague, Arles, now Japan

Ute Mahler began working in fashion photography back
in 1975, right after graduating from the HGB Leipzig, even
though fashion photography was only of casual interest to
her at the time. She was primarily interested in people and
their facial expressions, which is perhaps why, when looking
at her photos, you always notice the face first and the clothes
second. Taken out of the context of a magazine spread or
an ad, many of her photos could easily be seen as part of a
documentary project. Models and people always seem to be
caught entirely by chance the moment Ute Mahler presses
the shutter – that makes her pictures so unique: staging
women (and sometimes men) and fashion almost effortlessly,
just like in real life.
This book presents a wide selection of the pictures that
made her famous, first in the GDR photographing for the
legendary fashion and culture magazine Sibylle, then in unified Germany and later on more and more internationally with
exhibitions in The Hague, Arles and now Japan.
German novelist and journalist Annett Gröschner admired
Ute Mahler’s work from a young age. She shares a personal
essay describing how she came to know and love Ute Mahler
and her pictures. Texts by Ute Mahler and Johanna Eckhardt
describe the biographical, historical and cultural backgrounds
that have influenced the photographer and her work to
this day. They also chronicle her career path, the history of
Sibylle magazine and the editorial team’s self-image, which is
beautifully reflected in Ute Mahler’s photography.