Capsule

In 1981—just three years after Titus Dittmann had imported the first skateboards from the USA—Helge Tscharn began to photographically document the dawn of German skateboarding history. Tscharn captured every phase of German skateboarding with his signature style: the raw beginnings of the 1980s, heavily influenced by the punk rock movement, were immortalised in grainy black-and-white shots. By contrast, hip-hop and 90s street-wear burst forth in candy-coloured hues. Over the course of his career, he not only witnessed talent come and go, but also the rise of the stars of the skateboarding world—and often their tragic downfall. Tscharn was accompanying the indie and emo wave of the 2000s, the DIY culture of the 2010s, and of course, the present, which embraces and reinterprets all these influences. His photos, spanning over 40 years, appear like time capsules with an unmistakable feel for the moment.

Text in English and German.