Fotoform was an avant-garde photography group founded in 1949 by six young German photographers, Siegfried Lauterwasser , Peter Keetman , Wolfgang Reisewitz , Toni Schneiders , Otto Steinert and Ludwig Windstoßer .
25-599: After WW2, the photographers of the 1920s and 1930s were inactive or at the end of their careers but for a few, including Carl Strüwe, Heinz Hajek- Halke , Martha Hoepffner , Herbert List , and Adolf Lazi who organised the first comprehensive post-war exhibit, Die Photographie 1948 , held in a still partially destroyed public building in Stuttgart. He gave classes which enabled a group of young photographers to learn and exchange ideas. Peter Keetman, Ludwig Windstosser, Wolfgang Reisewitz and Siegfried Lauterwasser had exhibited in
50-495: A desire to reconnect to photographic tendencies of the 1920s and early 1930s, and thus to draw attention to the creative possibilities of photography which had been extinguished by the propagandistic Nazi cultural policy . Otto Steinert asserted that “a new photographic style is one of the demands of our times,” but also consciously resurrected Bauhaus principles, as exemplified in his X-ray-like photogram Strenges Ballet, Hommage à Oskar Schlemmer of 1949/1950. The group's name
75-492: A desire to reconnect to photographic tendencies of the 1920s and early 1930s, and thus to draw attention to the creative possibilities of photography which had been extinguished by the propagandistic Nazi cultural policy . Otto Steinert asserted that “a new photographic style is one of the demands of our times,” but also consciously resurrected Bauhaus principles, as exemplified in his X-ray-like photogram Strenges Ballet, Hommage à Oskar Schlemmer of 1949/1950. The group's name
100-583: A freelance photographer for various playhouses in Germany, encountered fotoform and in 1950 participated in their “photo-kino” exhibition in Cologne and also in their legendary exhibitions of “subjektive fotografie” in 1952 and 1954. In 1953 Heinz Hajek-Halke and Christer Christian (the pseudonym of the Swedish photographer Christer Strömholm ) joined the group. The photographers of fotoform were concerned with
125-418: A freelance photographer for various playhouses in Germany, encountered fotoform and in 1950 participated in their “photo-kino” exhibition in Cologne and also in their legendary exhibitions of “subjektive fotografie” in 1952 and 1954. In 1953 Heinz Hajek-Halke and Christer Christian (the pseudonym of the Swedish photographer Christer Strömholm ) joined the group. The photographers of fotoform were concerned with
150-432: A number of areas, including engraving, illustrations, film posters and photo editing before becoming a photographer in 1924. As a photographer, he began to focus on experimental work, including "light montages, double exposures, photo collages and photo montages". He would use multiple negatives for a single print, a technique called "combi-photography". He worked with the fashion photographer Yva . Hajek-Halke worked as
175-510: A photo editor, press photographer , and commercial artist , concentrating almost from the start on montage techniques. In the 1930s with the rise of the Nazis he lived quietly, moving to Lake Constance after he refused to fake documentaries for the Nazi Party . He photographed small animal life-forms, including insects. In 1937, he travelled to Brazil, where he produced a documentary about
200-519: A snake farm. He returned to Germany in 1939. During World War II , Hajek-Halke was conscripted by the German army and worked as a photographer for Dornier , an aircraft company in Friedrichshafen . After the war he spent a brief time as a French prisoner of war. He then began selling snake venom from his own snake farm to the pharmaceutical industry. In 1949, Hajek-Halke became a member of
225-434: Is a clear reference to its adherence to formalism , obtained through unusual framings or viewpoints, subverting technical aspects of focus and exposure or by manipulation of darkroom processes, while their commitment to ' subjektive' photography is a departure from 'objectivity', and a new direction toward personal expression; as Steinert explained; “subjective photography means humanised, individualised photography and implies
250-434: Is a clear reference to its adherence to formalism , obtained through unusual framings or viewpoints, subverting technical aspects of focus and exposure or by manipulation of darkroom processes, while their commitment to ' subjektive' photography is a departure from 'objectivity', and a new direction toward personal expression; as Steinert explained; “subjective photography means humanised, individualised photography and implies
275-675: The Folkwangschule in Essen (1959–78), and who was also the founder and curator of the photography collection at the Museum Folkwang and a founder of Photokina . It was he who suggested the title fotoform, the name to be purposely be written in lowercase letters, as Steinert did for the subjektive fotografie exhibition title. fotoform was a secession from mainstream, realist post-war photography in West Germany, driven by
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#1732786595386300-436: The Folkwangschule in Essen (1959–78), and who was also the founder and curator of the photography collection at the Museum Folkwang and a founder of Photokina . It was he who suggested the title fotoform, the name to be purposely be written in lowercase letters, as Steinert did for the subjektive fotografie exhibition title. fotoform was a secession from mainstream, realist post-war photography in West Germany, driven by
325-399: The formed single image and only photographs which had been accepted by all members of the group were validated as fotoform photography. This group of young photographers, founded in 1949 by Peter Keetman, Otto Steinert, and Ludwig Windstosser was the nucleus of modernism in that country and especially what was called in ‘subjective photography’ to contrast with the ‘new objectivity’ of
350-399: The formed single image and only photographs which had been accepted by all members of the group were validated as fotoform photography. This group of young photographers, founded in 1949 by Peter Keetman, Otto Steinert, and Ludwig Windstosser was the nucleus of modernism in that country and especially what was called in ‘subjective photography’ to contrast with the ‘new objectivity’ of
375-721: The German group Fotoform after meeting Otto Steinert . His abstractions, photomontages and luminograms were included in the first of two "subjektive fotografie" exhibitions. He was appointed as a lecturer in photography and graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin in 1955. Along with Felix H. Man , he won the 1965 Culture Award from the German Society for Photography . During his lifetime he published two books, Experimentelle Fotografie and Lichtgrafik . He died in Berlin on 11 May 1983. He left his estate to
400-587: The fotoform group had its first spectacular appearance at the Photokina (then called Photo-Kino). Already in 1951, fotoform member Otto Steinert included works by all fotoform photographers in his exhibition subjektive fotografie in Saarbrücken, Germany. Under this title the German avant-garde photography of the 1950s reconnected to international trends in international photography. Heinz Hajek-Halke Heinz Hajek-Halke (1 December 1898 – 11 May 1983)
425-640: The handling of a camera in order to win from the single object the views expressive of its character.” Subjective meant free, personal, non-functional practice. The radical artist Chargesheimer (pseudonym of Karl-Heinz Hargesheimer) having studied graphics and photography at the Cologne Werkschulen (1942–43) and at the Bavarian State Institute for Photography in Munich (1943–44), and pursuing his interest in theatre from 1947 as
450-437: The handling of a camera in order to win from the single object the views expressive of its character.” Subjective meant free, personal, non-functional practice. The radical artist Chargesheimer (pseudonym of Karl-Heinz Hargesheimer) having studied graphics and photography at the Cologne Werkschulen (1942–43) and at the Bavarian State Institute for Photography in Munich (1943–44), and pursuing his interest in theatre from 1947 as
475-448: The photographer Michael Ruetz , who donated it to the Academy of Arts, Berlin , in 2010. This article about a German photographer is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Fotoform Fotoform was an avant-garde photography group founded in 1949 by six young German photographers, Siegfried Lauterwasser , Peter Keetman , Wolfgang Reisewitz , Toni Schneiders , Otto Steinert and Ludwig Windstoßer . After WW2,
500-533: The photographers of the 1920s and 1930s were inactive or at the end of their careers but for a few, including Carl Strüwe, Heinz Hajek- Halke , Martha Hoepffner , Herbert List , and Adolf Lazi who organised the first comprehensive post-war exhibit, Die Photographie 1948 , held in a still partially destroyed public building in Stuttgart. He gave classes which enabled a group of young photographers to learn and exchange ideas. Peter Keetman, Ludwig Windstosser, Wolfgang Reisewitz and Siegfried Lauterwasser had exhibited in
525-580: The pre-war period. Though it focused on abstraction, design, and close observation, it also fostered new approaches to photo-documentary imagery. By concentrating on details, by cropping, by using sharp contrasts and by choosing extreme perspectives the photographers of the fotoform group concentrated on the graphical properties of black and white photography, often taking their experiments so far as to create almost abstract images. Their artistic strategies included photomontage , photograms , solarisation , negative printing and luminograms among others. In 1950,
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#1732786595386550-580: The pre-war period. Though it focused on abstraction, design, and close observation, it also fostered new approaches to photo-documentary imagery. By concentrating on details, by cropping, by using sharp contrasts and by choosing extreme perspectives the photographers of the fotoform group concentrated on the graphical properties of black and white photography, often taking their experiments so far as to create almost abstract images. Their artistic strategies included photomontage , photograms , solarisation , negative printing and luminograms among others. In 1950,
575-546: The show, and in 1949 were joined by Toni Schneiders and Otto Steinert and together they established the fotoform group. A shared and passionate interest in a new and unconventional photography suited to their time, required no written manifesto. Otto Steinert was a natural leader who was to become director of the photography programme at the Staatliche Werkkunstschule in Saarbrücken (1954–59) and at
600-407: The show, and in 1949 were joined by Toni Schneiders and Otto Steinert and together they established the fotoform group. A shared and passionate interest in a new and unconventional photography suited to their time, required no written manifesto. Otto Steinert was a natural leader who was to become director of the photography programme at the Staatliche Werkkunstschule in Saarbrücken (1954–59) and at
625-581: Was a German experimental photographer and educator. He was an early member of the Fotoform group. Hajek-Halke was born in Berlin , Germany, on 1 December 1898, the son of Paul Halke . He spent twelve years in Argentina while growing up and then moved back to Germany, studying graphics in Berlin in 1915. He was a soldier during World War I before returning to his artistic studies. He specialised in
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