Andre Kertesz

Known for rejecting conformity and abiding only to intuition, Hungarian-born photographer Andre Kertesz (1894-1985) used his camera as a tool to explore the human condition in everyday life. He was a pioneer of the "spontaneous" photography movement. Smoothly and subtlety, his work moved between abstraction and Surrealism, Constructivism and humanism. Ultimately, his quest for visual authenticity has made him one of the greatest and most influential photographers of the twentieth century.

ANDRE KERTESZ by Noel Bourcier, is an illustrated overview of the acclaimed photographer's career. This book features 55 photographs in chronological order and text that offers insight into Kertesz's art and personality, as he drew upon his private life and everyday objects to inspire his creative work.

This book covers the full range of Kertesz's photography career, one based on capturing the fleeting moment, from his Parisian street scenes to the still-life photographs made after he settled in New York. His motif of elevating and transforming trivial objects into meaningful works of art is revealed within all of the featured photographic essays, such as in The Fork, where Kertesz used light reflection and pure composition to transform a simple kitchen utensil into an interpretable object. This monograph is an elegantly produced introduction to his innovative visual language and timeless photographs that continue to influence modern photography.

Kertesz' black-and-white photos include many scenes that are haunting, touching, or whimsical. I especially like his street scenes, which capture everyday people. His many photos of Paris life in the 1920s and 30s remind me of the writings of Henry Miller (see, for example, Miller's "Tropic of Cancer").

Some memorable images: a young boy in Paris holding a delicate-looking puppy; a wandering violinist on a street in Hungary; a snowy view of Washington Square; a grubby old man urinating on a street in Paris; a portrait of an imperious Colette. There are some witty captures, particularly one delightful shot of umbrella-wielding pedestrians on a Tokyo street. Kertesz had a keen eye and a marvelous sense of composition; this book is a visual treat from start to finish.


Quality!   May 5, 2002
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

You really only need to two things about this book: one, that Andre Kertesz was a genius, and two, that this book published by Phaidon Press, so it's going to be very well done. The photographs in this book are sharper, more luminous and of a better variety than any other Kertesz book I've seen. The text blurbs that accompany each photograph (in addition to the excellent bio at the front) are informative and sophistocated, going well beyond the usual spartan location/date/f-stop infomation that many other monographs offer. As if that wasn't enough, it usually runs at least half of what other monographs will. Perfect stocking-stuffer.