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Andre Kertesz: A Lifetime of Perception.
This volume - investigating the work of a particular photographer, in this case, Andre Kertesz - comprises a 4000-word essay by an expert in the field, 55 photographs presented chronologically, each with a commentary, and a biography of the featured photographer.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1977
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March 17, 2013
Andre' Kertesz was an amazing photographer with a true photographer's eye for composition. He saw wonderful images in daily moments with quiet light and unassuming but exquisite composition. His photographs never shout and weren't extravagant or artificial, but they individually and collectively reaffirm the human condition. For example, he chose not to photograph the Eiffel Tower in its full frontal glory, but rather from the inside and above, capturing the curving dance between the iron grill work with its own shadow.
By today's standards his photographs may seem a little dated; they certainly are much less edgy and jarring than today's images. But Kertesz was a pioneer, one of the first who really understood the medium of photography and the power of the 35 mm. camera. He loved the versatility of the small format camera. He influenced those who came after, like Man Ray, Berenice Abbott & Brassai. As people moved about his camera frame, Kertesz saw them work themselves into the precise composition he envisioned. It was never staged, but it was nevertheless a highly intellectual process. One can envision him patiently waiting for all the compositional pieces to fit together perfectly.
Take for example Carrefour Blois (1930). In it Kertesz's viewpoint is looking down on a cobblestone intersection as if leaning out of a third story window. The strong diagonal line of a curb and sidewalk slices from the left edge through the upper edge of the frame. A slant of diagonal light and shadow interrupts the curb line at right angles, spreading as if to spotlight the center of the intersection. These diagonals are balanced by two beautiful curves on the bottom and right side of the photo, keeping our eyes from wandering out of the photo. Rectangular and square brickwork, cobblestones and shingles add texture and backdrop to the scene. But what makes the photo for me is the dynamic juxtaposition of the people in the scene - a horse drawn cart rounding the corner, a bicyclist casting an elongated shadow reminiscent of Lartique's famous racing car image, a motorcyclist entering the scene from a side street and about to move out of shadow into the light near the center of the intersection, two men engaged in conversation while one's horse impatiently looks on as if it wants to interject, and a pedestrian caught in mid-stride making his way out of the frame. Tension fills the entire picture, certainly because of the dominant diagonals and curves, but mainly because nothing remains stationary. Each of the people is going about his business, with in his own sense of purpose, going in a direction suitable to that purpose, and in so doing adds to the sense of motion. This image depicts a "decisive moment" no less than any of those for which Cartier-Bresson was so famous.
By today's standards his photographs may seem a little dated; they certainly are much less edgy and jarring than today's images. But Kertesz was a pioneer, one of the first who really understood the medium of photography and the power of the 35 mm. camera. He loved the versatility of the small format camera. He influenced those who came after, like Man Ray, Berenice Abbott & Brassai. As people moved about his camera frame, Kertesz saw them work themselves into the precise composition he envisioned. It was never staged, but it was nevertheless a highly intellectual process. One can envision him patiently waiting for all the compositional pieces to fit together perfectly.
Take for example Carrefour Blois (1930). In it Kertesz's viewpoint is looking down on a cobblestone intersection as if leaning out of a third story window. The strong diagonal line of a curb and sidewalk slices from the left edge through the upper edge of the frame. A slant of diagonal light and shadow interrupts the curb line at right angles, spreading as if to spotlight the center of the intersection. These diagonals are balanced by two beautiful curves on the bottom and right side of the photo, keeping our eyes from wandering out of the photo. Rectangular and square brickwork, cobblestones and shingles add texture and backdrop to the scene. But what makes the photo for me is the dynamic juxtaposition of the people in the scene - a horse drawn cart rounding the corner, a bicyclist casting an elongated shadow reminiscent of Lartique's famous racing car image, a motorcyclist entering the scene from a side street and about to move out of shadow into the light near the center of the intersection, two men engaged in conversation while one's horse impatiently looks on as if it wants to interject, and a pedestrian caught in mid-stride making his way out of the frame. Tension fills the entire picture, certainly because of the dominant diagonals and curves, but mainly because nothing remains stationary. Each of the people is going about his business, with in his own sense of purpose, going in a direction suitable to that purpose, and in so doing adds to the sense of motion. This image depicts a "decisive moment" no less than any of those for which Cartier-Bresson was so famous.
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