Kornelius Schorle

Art Brokerage: Kornelius Schorle German-American Artist: Kornelius grew up in East Germany under the iron hand of communism. An aunt in West Germany let him stay with her, sparing him from life in a refugee camp. A few weeks later he was on a transatlantic ship headed for New York City with a new passport and political asylum, and on arrival went into business with his two brothers in Queens. He worked days and attended school every night, earning a high school diploma and certificate in English as a second language. In 1968 he left New York for California. Kornelius Schorle deals in postcards from the past. Peering through his camera lens, working with the care and patience of a master craftsman, he has preserved forever—in saturated colors—beloved Hawai‘i Island places that will never be seen again.nnHis photography brings permanence to this ever-changing island, which once boasted many well-loved coastal landscapes that are now faded, fragmented memories: the curvature of the bay, the deep hue of the ocean, the dancing palm trees lining the shore, the shape of waves as they break, the sunlight glinting off wet black sand. These mental fragments of the past are pieced together again instantly upon seeing Kornelius’s work, eliciting excited reactions from residents and visitors alike who’ve developed intimate, sensory connections to these places and who, upon first spotting his vibrant canvases on display, exclaim, “That’s it! That’s what I remember.” Over the course of half a century and two destructive lava flows, Kornelius and his tireless efforts to document the island’s scenic beauty, especially in lava-prone Puna district, has produced what could be considered the definitive photographs of bygone places like Kapoho Tide Pools, Pohoiki Bay, and Ahalanui Beach Park—affectionately known as Warm Ponds. Listings wanted.