Kai Schäfer is an acclaimed German photographer with a passion for vinyl records and iconic turntables – two items close to our own hearts here at Snap Galleries.
His celebrated ‘WORLDRECORDS’ project has been creating waves in his homeland and I am delighted to introduce Kai’s work to our clients.
Kai’s monumental artworks create a talking point in any room in which they feature – particularly in large formats, which can be up to 82 inches / 210 cm wide. Each artwork features a key album or single on a classic turntable, photographed from a direct overhead position using a special lighting system designed by Kai to reveal rich details in the vinyl and the turntable.
Kai makes his work available to collectors in small limited editions in a choice of two physical sizes.
The large scale versions are typically made with a height of 140cm (55 inches), with the width in proportion, depending on the proportions of the turntable that is being photographed. To give you a couple of examples, a Transcriptor turntable measures 140cm x 143cm (55 x 56 inches) and a Technics SL 1210 has dimensions of 140cm x 179 cm (55 x 70 inches).
That’s a general rule of thumb – there are exceptions. For example, a particular favourite of mine, Janis Joplin’s 1971 Columbia B side ‘Mercedes Benz’, is presented on a beautiful Braun SK61 turntable. This is a long, thin record deck, only suitable for seven-inch singles and comes in at a show-stopping 209 cm x 100 cm – or 82 inches wide by almost 40 inches high.
Kai also offers each piece in a life-size version – 1:1 scale, which will vary in size according to the size of the actual turntable. If you click on the ‘BUY THIS’ button under any piece you will be able to see the exact dimensions for that item.
The large format and life-size 1:1 versions are supplied as Diasec mounted prints. The large size can also be made as a print on special fabric over a dimmable LED lightbox. You can read more about these framing styles as you scroll down the page. Each artwork is signed on the reverse and supplied with a certificate of authenticity.
