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PEOPLE.
From bizarre doomsday bunkers and underground laboratories to BMW Group Plant Leipzig, Alastair Philip Wiper is recognised the world over for his unique perspectives on details often overlooked by the masses. A fanatic of the “unseen” aesthetics of the industrial world, the British photographer’s camera roll tells the story of unusual environments most people would have no reason to come across in their lifetime.
Kicking off our “Behind the Drive” series, this first interview with Alastair takes place deep in the heart of BMW Group Plant Leipzig. Discover what goes through the mind of a master at work when given full, unrestricted access to a beacon of automotive pioneering and the home of the new MINI Countryman.
Did you always see the world through such unique lenses, finding beauty in unexpected places (even a slaughterhouse!)? Or was there a moment when you realized your knack for spotting the extraordinary in the ordinary?
Growing up, I don’t remember anyone telling me that I was particularly creative. When I became a teenager, I began to appreciate art, film and literature that was subversive, had dark humour, and that the stuff I was interested in wasn’t just pretty; it had to have some edge to it. I came late to the creative world – I was 25 when I started doing anything visually creative and 27 before I picked up a camera. When I began to photograph industry and science in around 2011, that was the moment I realised I could see things that other people couldnt – or at least I could find a way of distilling those things into an image.
We’re curious … how do you prepare for a shoot? Are there any “rituals” you like to perform beforehand?
I try to research the place I am going to as much as possible, and decide which equipment I will need – I like to keep things simple, so I tend to only bring gear I think I will need or I find it distracting. I am very used to going to places where I don’t really know what I will see, so scouting before the shoot is useful if possible, but sometimes I have to just go in and start shooting.
On your voyage in the world of industrial photography, you’ve visited everywhere from the Playmobile production lines to CERN, the home of the Large Hadron Collider. What similarities — or differences — did you discover in your experience of capturing BMW Group Plant Leipzig?
Plant Leipzig was MASSIVE. It felt like the biggest place I have ever shot. I have photographed the Boeing factory in Washington, USA - the biggest building in the world – but Plant Leipzig felt bigger. We walked about 45km in the three days at the plant. The scale was very impressive. It is amazing that so many new cars are being produced – this is just one car factory out of many in the world. I did not know so many people were buying new cars.
You’ve been quoted as saying you get really happy when you see something you haven’t seen before … Did you come across that at BMW Group Plant Leipzig?
The level of synchronization was a thing of beauty, and fascinating to watch. Cars are produced in the order they enter the system from the dealership – so a red BMW comes after a green MINI, which comes after a blue BMW and so on. Each car has custom specifications, from the colour, to the upholstery, to the stereo, to the engine – and at each step in the process, the robots and humans that are building the cars switch to that particular car and are provided, as if by magic, with the exact parts for that car. The production line just keeps moving – it is so satisfying.
Delving further into your process, you’ve described the technical side of it as “very fast”. When tasked with capturing the essence of the equally fast-paced BMW Group Plant Leipzig, how do you stop and channel your creative mojo?
At the beginning of my career, I was often in situations where I didn’t have all the time in the world to get the shot – I had talked my way into places and was on limited time - so I got used to working quickly. I still need to have my wits about as I’m often shooting on the fly, and I don’t like to leave a location without feeling I have got as much out of it as possible. That said, I can usually see immediately the shots that will be important – and the same was true with Plant Leipzig. I had three days at the plant, which meant that I could take the time I needed to get each shot perfectly – often waiting for the right car at the right time – but because of the huge size of the plant, not a moment of those three days was wasted, as I’m sure the crew will confirm.
What’s going through your mind as you work? Did you stumble upon any uncanny resemblances between BMW Group Plant Leipzig's inner workings and your own creative process?
I’m usually trying to slow everything down. There is often a lot of noise, things moving, a crew of people watching me – and the same was true at Plant Leipzig. So I need to drown that stuff out and concentrate on what is important, move slowly. This comes with experience.
To start with, I’m looking for things that are graphically strong, and then I’m looking to see what kind of story they tell. The story doesn’t have to be the “real” story – I’m happy to leave a certain amount of ambiguity in my work. I’m often drawn to machines and spaces that get my imagination going, that remind me of books I’ve read, films I've seen, and things from my childhood. I want to give that fantasy feeling to the viewer first, before they read the caption to find out what is actually going on in the image.
I suppose I would like to think my mind works as efficiently as the production line at the plant, but in reality, there are some weird things coming in from the side that might break the production line!
Now, looking at the finished result, how would you say the blend of innovation, stewardship, and precision engineering at BMW Group Plant Leipzig translates into your photography?
We were a match made in heaven. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I hope that translates into the images.
Were there any specific visuals you were particularly drawn to? Perhaps for the special element of fantasy they provoke?
The emu feather car duster was a highlight. In the middle of all this industry and technology, there is a kind of car wash the cars go through before they are painted – instead of being washed, they are dusted by rollers made out of ostrich feathers. It has to be ostrich feathers, apparently – no other type of feather, or any kind of synthetic material, has the properties needed to do the job properly. It is so Willy Wonka.
I also loved watching the robots welding. And the cars getting a bath. And the half-finished cars moving through the offices from one part of the factory to another. So much good stuff.
You yourself were inspired by Wolfgang Sievers and Maurice Broomfield and their photography of oil refineries in the 1950s and 60s. How do you hope to inspire others who seek out the unintended beauty in the world?
I would like everyone to take a second look at the things around them. Things they thought they understood or had a preconceived idea about are often not as simple as they thought they were. If my work can give people insight into something they didn’t know anything about, get their imaginations fired up, or get them to think twice, then that would make me very happy.
It’s been an absolute pleasure watching you work and seeing BMW Group Plant Leipzig through your unique lens. But before you go, we want to know: what’s next for Alastair Philip Wiper?
I’m working on a couple of long-term projects that will be made into books and exhibitions within a few years. One is about everything nuclear – science, weapons, energy, culture – it’s called “How We Learned to Stop Worrying”. The other is about flesh, and our relationship to it as humans.
Thanks so much, Alastair, for taking the time to chat with us – and, of course, for the brilliant photos and perspective of BMW Group Plant Leipzig!
Check out more of Alastair’s work on his Instagram page.