For 20 years Austrian photographer Lois Hechenblaikner (born 1958) has been photographing the fans at Austrian folk music festivals. On his travels he has visited more than 100 festivals, open-air concerts and fan gatherings. Hechenblaikner's particular passion is for the people who undertake long journeys barring no expense, just to get that little bit closer to their idols. It's a phenomenon which sociologist Gerhard Schulze describes as "Harmoniemilieu," where the desire for a perfect world becomes one's sole and strongest driving force.
In Volksmusik Hechenblaikner explores the possibilities of large-format photography to create a typology of the public at folk-music festivals. With careful precision he documents the facial expressions, gestures and clothing of his various protagonists, revealing their psychologies and life stories.
