Joachim was born and grew up in Switzerland. He completed a diploma and BFA at The School Of The Museum Of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts working in video, film, photography, sculpture, and painting. His wide field of study has allowed him to free of the limitations found in any single art form. His current work with 20×30 Polaroids combines photography with sculpture, installation, and lighting. Many galleries, museums, and international competitions have exhibited his work. For several years Joachim Knill taught film at the SMFA, and Emerson College in Boston, and he has offered a 20×30 Polaroid workshop at the SMFA. Since 1995 Joachim Knill has been exhibiting in many prestigious art festivals nationwide
Joachim’s most recent work consists of 20″x30′ Polaroids photographs which he creates with the world’s largest portable instant film camera designed and built by himself. The one of a kind photographs depict surreal landscapes and installations which he builds in his studio. He uses mostly natural objects such as fruits, flowers, vegetables, seedpods, sticks and stones, or delapitaded building parts, all collected either on his travels or around Hannibal Missouri where he currently resides. These objects are built up as a real life installation which he then captures in a single long exposure with light painting techniques. The lighting turns these scenes into otherworldly realities resembling movie stills that capture ones imagination as to what the storyline might be. By using this large format, the high resolution renders such fine detail that they appear real.