subjektive fotografie

Adventures in the Visual Field

EXHIBITION Sep 21, 2013 — Jan 24, 2014

SAMEER MAKARIUS (1924–2009)

Kavanagh under fog, 1955

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1955

60 x 41 cm

© Estate Sameer Marakrius; Makarius 2012 / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PETER KEETMAN (1916–2005)

VW-Werk, Einstiegsbleche / VW-plant, entrance panels, 1953

gelatin silver print, printed later

29,3 x 30,5 cm

© The Estate of Peter Keetman; F.C. Gundlach Foundation / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

GERALDO DE BARROS (1923–1998)

Untited (Paris), 1951

gelatin silver print of a photogram, printed between 1973 and 1978

31,2 x 30 cm

© Fabiana de Barros / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Sickle), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,1 x 12,3 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Trousers), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

12,3 x 17,1 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Baggage), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

12,1 x 17,4 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Window), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,4 x 12,1 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Abstraction), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,1 x 12,3 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Roof), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,2 x 12,1 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Knives), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

12,3 x 17,1 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Clothes in Windows), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,1 x 12,3 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KAORO OHTO (*1929)

Untitled (Door), 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

17,1 x 12,3 cm

© Kaoro Ohto / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

LUDWIG WINDSTOSSER (1921–1983)

Schallplatten, ca. 1955

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1955

29 x 22 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Scherbentanz / Dance of broken fragments, 1948

gelatin silver print of a photogram, printed ca. 1948

40 x 30,2 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PIM VAN OS (1910–1954)

Light abstraction, ca. 1950

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950

24 x 18,1 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

FERENC BERKO (1916-2000)

Chicago, 1947-48

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1947-48

24,2 x 24,5 cm

© Estate of Ferenc Berko / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

ARTHUR SIEGEL (1913–1978)

Untitled, 1943

gelatin silver print, mounted, printed ca. 1943

11,7 x 8,8 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

THOMAZ FARKAS (1924–2011)

Cachoeira I / Wasserfall I, ca. 1949

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1949

28,8 x 40 cm

© Acervo Thomaz Farkas IMS; Courtesy Family Collection / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

MINOR WHITE (1908–1976)

Beginnings, Frosted Window, Rochester, NY, 1962

gelatin silver print, mounted on original cardboard, printed ca. 1962

31 x 24,3 cm

© Minor White Archive; Princeton University Art Museum / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Formenkomposition, 1949

photogram, gelatin silver paper, printed ca. 1949

22,9 x 28,8 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KELD HELMER-PETERSEN (1920–2013)

Fotogramm, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1949

20,2 x 14,7 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Lampen auf dem Place de la Concorde, Luminogramm, Paris, 1952

gelatin silver print, mounted, printed ca. 1952

18 x 26,7 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PIM VAN OS (1910–1954)

Abstraction (Photogram), ca. 1950

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950

29,9 x 23,9 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

LUDWIG WINDSTOSSER (1921–1983)

Beton-Ring-Werk (Photographik), ca. 1952

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950s

ca. 60 x 51 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PETER KEETMAN (1916–2005)

Öltropfen/ Oildrops, 1956

gelatin silver print, printed later

31,1 x 23,9 cm

© The Estate of Peter Keetman; F.C. Gundlach Foundation / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

HARRY CALLAHAN (1912–1999)

Kleenex and Penny on Opal Glass, ca. 1952

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1952

9,6 x 12 cm

© The Estate of Harry Callahan / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

SIEGFRIED LAUTERWASSER (1913–2000)

Wasserspiegelung, 1950

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950

23,4 x 17,7 cm

© Siegfried Lauterwasser und Foto Lauterwasser / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KORO HONJO (1907–1995)

Akt 3, ca. 1951-1954

gelatin silver print, printed before 1954

27,1 x 22,3 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

JOSÉ YALENTI (1895–1967)

Panico, ca. 1950

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950

41 x 52,5 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

TAKASHI KIJIMA (1920–2011)

Hermelin in der Falle / Trapped Ermine, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1949

20,7 x 20,6 cm

© Setsuko Kijiama / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

FREDERICK SOMMER (1905–1999)

Untitled (Found painting), 1949

gelatin silver print, mounted, printed ca. 1949

12,8 x 24 cm

© Frederick Frances Sommer Foundation Courtes Kicken Berlin

HARRY CALLAHAN (1912–1999)

Proof Sheet, Chicago, 1953

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1953

24,2 x 18,8 cm

©The Estate of Harry Callahan / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Saarlandschaft, 1954

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1954

29,9 x 37,9 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

MONIKA VON BOCH (1915–1993)

Struktur, 1959

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1959

30,2 x 39,6 cm

© VG-Bild-Kunst, Bonn / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KIYOSHI NIIYAMA (1911–1968)

Cocoons, 1937-1945

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1937-1945

17,8 x 25 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

HARRY CALLAHAN (1912–1999)

Wells Street, Chicago, 1949

gelatin silver print, mounted, printed ca. 1949

16,4 x 17,8 cm

© The Estate of Harry Callahan / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

HARALD BOOCKMANN (1932–1967)

Untitled (Abstraction), 1950s/60s

gelatin silver print, printed 1950s/60s

50 x 60,5 cm

© Harald Boockmann-Archiv / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

SIEGFRIED LAUTERWASSER (1913–2000)

Fischernetze, 1950

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950

23,5 x 17,7 cm

© Siegfried Lauterwasser und Foto Lauterwasser / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

GERALDO DE BARROS (1923–1998)

Fotoforma, Estacao da Luz, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed between 1973 and 1978

29,8 x 39,5 cm

© Fabiana de Barros / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

TONI SCHNEIDERS (1920–2006)

Schienenspinne, 1950

gelatin silver print,matted, printed ca. 1950

29,3 x 41,2 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Segelschiff in Göteborg / Sailing ship in Göteborg, 1955–56

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1955-56

60 x 51 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

FERENC BERKO (1916–2000)

Music Tent, Aspen, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1949

20,1 x 19,9 cm

© Estate of Ferenc Berko / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

AARON SISKIND (1903–1991)

Martha's Vineyard, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed 1957

34,3 x 23,4 cm

© Aaron Siskind Foundation / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

LUDWIG WINDSTOSSER (1921–1983)

Untitled (Woman's shadow on a tent), ca. 1950-1960

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950-1960

29,1 x 22,4 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

CHRISTER STRÖMHOLM (1918–2002)

Switzerland, 1949

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1949

18 x 24,5 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PETER KEETMAN (1916–2005)

Abendliche Straße / Evening street, 1956

gelatin silver print, printed later

49,4 x 40,1 cm

© The Estate of Peter Keetman; F.C. Gundlach Foundation / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

LUDWIG WINDSTOSSER (1921–1983)

Untitled (Mountain landscape with serpentines in bird's view), ca. 1950-1960

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950-1960

23,3 x 28,8 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

FERENC BERKO (1916–2000)

Aspen Tree Trunk, 1949/ early 1950s

gelatin silver print, printed 1949/ early 1950s

17,9 x 14 cm

© Estate of Ferenc Berko / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

CHRISTER STRÖMHOLM (1918–2002)

Untitled (Switzerland), ca. 1950

gelatin silver print, printed c. 1950

13,9 x 23,9 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

OTTO STEINERT (1915–1978)

Mond überm Dach, 1949

gelatin silver print, mounted to cardboard, printed ca. 1949

60,7 x 38 cm

© Nachlass Otto Steinert; Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

ADEMAR MANARINI (1920–1989)

Untitled (Shirts), ca. 1950

gelatin silver print, mounted on paper, printed ca. 1950

27 x 39,1 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

ARTHUR SIEGEL (1913–1978)

Photogram, 1960s

gelatin silver print, printed 1960s

42,8 x 35,5 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

PAULO PIRES (*1928)

Sinantereas, 1964

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1964

29 x 39 cm

© Paulo Pires / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

KIYOSHI NIIYAMA (1911–1968)

Untitled (Waves), 1950s-1960s

gelatin silver print, printed ca. 1950s-1960s

20 x 24,5 cm

© Estate of the Artist / Courtesy Kicken Berlin

In the current exhibition, Kicken Berlin explores the international movement of subjective photography in the late 1940s to the early 1960s. With its origins in the subjektive fotografie exhibits organized by Otto Steinert in 1951, 1954 and 1958 in Germany, subjective photography found important equivalents in North and Latin America as well as in Asia. From the late 1940s on, an international movement in photography was responding to the challenge of the pre-war avant-garde. Its goals were to go beyond the mimetic representation of the visible and to create artistic images by purely photographic means and experimental techniques. Kicken considers subjective photography a global movement and will therefore explore the diversified approaches of European, American and Asian artists in its exhibition.
Key pieces demonstrate the direct and subjective approach of German artist Otto Steinert and his international contemporaries such as North Americans Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind; Latin Americans Sameer Makarius, Geraldo de Barros, and Thomaz Farkas; and Japanese photographers Kiyoshi Niiyama and Takashi Kijima, among others. Callahan and Siskind were based at the Chicago Institute of Design, which László Moholy-Nagy founded as the “New Bauhaus” in 1937; this anchor in the pre-war avant-garde facilitated the subjective movement to draw explicitly on the work of forerunner artists such as Moholy-Nagy, Man Ray and Herbert Bayer.
The main focal point of the presentation will be on abstraction, or what Otto Steinert called the fifth and highest level of creative photography: the “absolute fotografische Gestaltung,” or absolute photographic design. It realized its ideals in works like Steinert’s luminograms, photogram work by Arthur Siegel and Pim van Os, Harry Callahan’s and Geraldo de Barros’ abstract grids of architecture and Monika von Boch’s rhythmic black-and-white structural works.
The aim of our exhibition and catalogue will be to highlight the variety in the mid-twentieth-century avant-garde photography movement in Europe, North America, Latin America and Japan. The show aims to provide an overview of the photographic image as an aesthetic graphic exercise – a realm of signs that relates to visible reality but extends beyond a simple representation of common things.