Mischa Haller
Born in Switzerland in 1971, Mischa Haller trained for five years as an assistant to photographers, including Peter Beard and has been based in London since 1998.
His images record the wonder of the everyday, coupled with powerful portraiture. Haller’s reportage style gives his work immediacy with rich vibrant colour that transforms life into something much less than ordinary, frequently displayed in an ongoing series named Seen.
In another ongoing work While We Wait the great British tradition of queuing is explored with comical and awe inspiring results, such as the massive line formed in a warehouse for the last Channel 4 series of Big Brother in 2010.
On Bute reveals the lives of the small island community on the Isle of Bute, on Scotland’s west coast. Haller’s photographs expose the delightful quiet moments on the back of a bus, or the humorous elderly crossing sign standing near the edge of a cliff, to poignant effect. His understanding of the landscape and the people within it give rise to a rich visual language and appreciation of the world around him.
In his most recent series Brexit Night Mischa wanted to capture the mood of Britain on Brexit night, the 31st of January 2020.
‘I chose to go to Dover because it represents one of the main the connections to Europe. It was a very misty and gray night. I seemed to be completely alone there. To my surprise, I found nothing being beamed on the cliffs, no celebrations or fireworks. Instead it was this deserted landscape being buffeted by wind and the elements. The night sky was glowing with the light of Dover port creating an otherworldly and haunting atmosphere.’