Bartholot is a Berlin-based freelance designer with an emphasis on photographic illustration and art direction. He was born in 1971 in Southern Germany and became a graphic designer in Aachen. He gained experience working in Lucerne and Zurich, before he moved to Madrid to join photography legend Álvaro Villarrubia's team. He’s been exploring his particular imagery ever since. Beside his interest in dollish characters he certainly has a weakness for dusty shine, trendless fashion & striking gloom.

You are known for keeping the editing of your photos to a minimum. What does this way of working contribute to your pictures?

Of course, my pictures are retouched. I am mainly concerned about colors, shapes and composition. The degree of retouching can be quite different.

Your works are photographic illustrations. How can you create this illusion over and over again? What do you look for staging your properties?

I try to bring my pictures to tell without being too specific here. Styling, props and the titles play a big role. A reduced, minimal set underline the surreal and staged character allowing the viewer's imagination the required flexibility.

Since when have you been into this comic-like photography and when did you know you could turn your passion into a profession?

Since 2009, I’ve put my focus on my photographic imagery and it soon became clear to me that I would go this way professionally. The response in recent years has strengthened me in this point.

How do you think about the blurring lines of art and advertisement?

Art can be both artistically and commercially. The same applies to advertising. The blurring of these boundaries, I think, is a subjective assessment.