Danish photography in english – part IFotografiTilføj Kommentarer

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IntroductionAccording to a popular proverb, a photo speaks more than a thousand words. But however paradoxical it might seem, if the photos themselves are surrounded by a language you don’t understand, you might never get to see them. Not long ago, Mike Johnston, editor of The Online Photographer, published a list of classical photo booksstill in print. I’m a regular reader of TOP, and have a great respect for the editor, who is a person with an immense knowledge about the world of photography. The more disappointed I was, when I discovered that out of the eight books on Mike’s list, the number by or about non-US-American photographers were – zero! Mike’s respond to criticism for being US-centric was essentially, that the list was a product of his own cultural upbringing – and that anybody would be free to make their own list… The following is my response. Contrary to Mike’s list, I make no claim that the books on this list are “classics”. I’m not sure what a “classic” is and certainly don’t feel qualified for (or interested in) that discussion. There might be a dozen reasons why a photo book reach a broad public and become popular. And it seems that one of the prerequisites is that the accompanying text is written in a major language – preferably English. Consequently, I have put together a list of all the books by Danish photographers published in English that I am aware off. Are Danish photographers better or more interesting than – let’s say – American, Italian or Congolese photographers? Not on an average. But

some of them are in fact quite good. Anyway, whatever your interest in Danish photography might be or might not be: with this list, language is no longer an excuse to stay away. A final note before we begin: I made this list out of personal interest. I claim no professional authority what so ever in this field. I just hope somebody will find it useful. Part 1: Bearing witness in black and white It seems appropriate to start this presentation with a couple of books by Henrik Saxgren (1953). Saxgren has been a prominent figure in Danish photojournalism since the early 1970′s. Most of his work consists of photo essays from around the world – very often from places of conflict or poverty – with at strong sense of social commitment. Another part of his photographs depicts everyday life in Denmark, with an eye for both anger and humour.

Saxgrens photos have been published in magazines and a number of books. The first one in English was Point of view (Aperture, 1998). The book is divided into two

parts, of which the first one is a retrospective collection of pictures taken during the 1980s. It opens with sunbathing and picnics on the beach in Denmark, but soon moves to other locations: Poland during the time of the Solidarnosc-strikes, Rumania in the aftermath of the uprising in 1989, street fighting and everyday life in Palestine and election campaign in Nicaragua. It ends in Denmark, among alcoholics and homeless. The second part is a collection of five photo-essays: a day in the life of a Cuban fisherman, children in Haïti living in a rubbish dump, refugees from Rwanda in a camp in Zaïre, under age prostitutes in Nicaragua and finally back to Haïti for a voodoo ceremony. In one of his early books Saxgren has mentioned Sebastião Salgado and Mary Ellen Mark among his sources of inspiration. A number of the photos in P.O.V. resemble these photographers in style and/or subject. But in the end, Saxgren is Saxgren. He has a very good eye for contradictions, which from time to time introduces a certain bizarre humour in his pictures. He bears witness about injustice and inhumanity, but he also shows the small moments of joy and hope, even in the most depressing circumstances.

Saxgrens second book in English is Solomons house(Aperture, 2000). It’s about children without families in Nicaragua, doomed to live on the street, since the right wing government coming to power in 1990 closed the orphanages and social programs set up by the Sandinistas.These are very strong and emotional pictures of children immersed in a world of drug addiction, crime and prostitution. After the publication of Solomons house, Saxgren felt it was time for a change. He moved away from working primarily in B&W and started experimenting with colour and new types of subject. His latest project consists of portraits of immigrants to the Nordic countries. About ten years ago, a new generation started to make itself seen in Danish press photography – and abroad. In the last decade, Danish photographers has frequently been on the award list of World Press Photo or received other prestigious prices. One of them is Jan Grarup (1968). Jan Grarup works for the newspaper Politiken, covering conflicts and

catastrophes around the globe.Shadowland (Politikens forlag 2006) is a collection of his photographs from such places as Sierra Leone, Chechnya, Rwanda, Kosovo, Palestine, Iraq and Darfur. It is pictures of people involved in, but mostly victims of some of the world’s most brutal armed conflicts. In addition there are photos from earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran, and finally a small essay on life of the European Roma – a.k.a. gypsies – a people unwanted and oppressed in most countries.

Grarups photography is in classical B&W and his skills are clearly equal to the best in the field. Like James Nachtwey, just to mention the most obvious. Just like Nachtwey, Grarups primary focus is on the innocent victims of war and conflict. He wants to bear witness on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves and are too often neglected by the rest of the world. And just like Nachtwey he has a fabulous sense of timing and composition. Critics might find some of his pictures to esthetically pleasing, considering the subject. Personally, I find it’s a legitimate way to get attention to the stories, Grarup want to tell us. I have the greatest respect for people like Grarup, who put their physical

health – and, I would guess, their mental health too – in jeopardy, to bring these stories to our attention. I fully agree that newspapers and other media must strive to make a difference, by bringing these horrors to the public attention. But collected in a book of more than 200 pages, it is almost too much. So much death and destruction and so little hope. Personally I can only cope with this book a few pages at a time. Then I have to put it down to remind myself, that there is also another world out there after all. Part 2: Action?As mentioned in part one, a new generation made itself seen in Danish photojournalism in the late 1990’s. One of them was Joachim Ladefoged. He did several reports from Kosovo and Albania from 1997 onwards – which, among other awards won him a World Press Photo prize in 1998. These photos have been published in a brilliant book, but since it’s in Danish it falls outside the scope of this text.

Ladefoged is presently a member of the VII photo agency, and has contributed to a couple of books, together with other members of the agency. So far, he’s only solo work in English is something rather different than these reports from areas of war and conflict. Mirror (Ajour, 2008) is about bodybuilders. Most of the book is made up of portraits. The bodybuilders are all photographed on a black background, staring right into the camera. Their almost naked bodies has a sinister, dark brown colour – which comes from bronzing lotion. According to Ladefoged, one of his motifs for the book is fascination of the people behind this sport, which many people might find a bit bizarre. I have to confess, that at least for me, it doesn’t really work that way. I feel alienated from these figures, which reminds me of characters from some dystopian sci-fi movie. Mixed in between the portraits are a few shots of bodybuilders training. I would have liked some more of them – and maybe even some photos of these people when they are relaxed and doing ordinary things in ordinary surroundings. But you might feel otherwise…

Nicolai Howalts Boxer (People’s press, 2008) is in somewhat the same line. It’s even more minimalistic in its concept, though: 42 boxers, aged 11 to 17, are portrayed straight on, standing before a white background. Each are photographed twice, and even though there is no further explanation, it is clear that the first shot is before a fight and the second is after, since most of them look sweaty, bruised – and some even bloody – on the second one. Honestly, I don’t really think the photos on their own, one by one, are something to get excited about. On the other hand, the book as a whole works in the way, that it certainly make you think about these kids and their motivation to climb into a ring, and start hitting other kids. Is this enough to make up a good photo-book? You may judge for yourself…Even though Extreme (no publishing data) by Morten Rygaard is also about

sports, it’s very different from the two above. These are pictures of mountain climbing, skiing and snowboarding. We see fantastic landscapes of rock, snow and blue sky. We see people doing spectacular stunts or climbing steep summits. I have mixed feelings with this book. I can certainly recognize that Rygaard is very good at what he is doing. These are well composed, technically fine photographs taken in very difficult circumstances. But it is as if there is too much “wow” and too little “aha” in these pictures. As if I’m looking at a travelling brochure or a catalogue of climbing gear. These pictures certainly grab your attention – but will they keep it for long? Part 3: People in circumstancesWhen the later-to-be-famous German photographer Albert Renger-Patzsch published his first major work in 1928, it was called “Die Welt ist schön” (The world is beautiful). Granted, the titled was not invented by the photographer himself, but by the editor. Never the less, it is a bit ironic that Trine Søndergaardreceived the Renger-Patzsch award in 2001 for showing us a world that is exactly the opposite of beautiful.

Now that you are mine (Steidl, 2002) are glimpses into the everyday life of prostitutes and drug addicts in Copenhagen. The pictures has been taken during a two year period, and my guess is, that it has taken some time for Søndergaard to gain the trust of her subjects, so as to be able to

take these pictures. Never the less, her work has the aesthetics of snap shots: taken right on, in glaring colours and often a sharp flashlight. Sort of the pictures your teenage daughter would bring home from a trip to Ibiza. Apart from the content, hopefully… Normally, I’m no great fan of this type of photography. But I must admit that it makes sense here. First of all, it suits the meagre circumstances. Secondly, it reminds you that you are nothing but a tourist into another world. A world that might seem far away – but never the less is a reality, a few kilometres from your own safe, suburban life. Further credit goes to Trine Søndergaard for keeping the fine line between exposing reality and exposing her subjects. There are traces of love and tenderness, even here. These people are not freaks, but persons like you and me – in fact; it could probably have been us, if circumstances had been different.

Circumstances certainly have been different, for most of the people that are portrayed in Ole Christiansens Photographs (People’s Press, 2003). Most of the pictures are portraits of Danish and even some international celebrities. Some of them include some context that helps to characterize the person, while some are just plain close ups – such as the brilliant portraits of Iggy Pop or Leonard Cohen, just to mention a few. However, I sometimes find books of only portraits a bit boring. What makes this book stand out is the fact that the portraits have been mixed up with some other shots: situationals, cityscapes – even the occasional

nude. These are fine pictures in their own right. But even though they have no formal connections to the portraits, they also bring a much more vivid and varied experience to the book as a whole. It should also be noted, that the book is in a large format that really do justice to the pictures.

Amazon by Liv Carlé Mortensen is also about circumstances – or rather: about the circumstance of being a lover, a mother and a woman. Imagine you could take one part Cindy Sherman, one part Sally Mann and one part punk-rock, ad a good measure of blood and mix it all together in a blender. This will give you some idea of Mortensens work…Amazon gives you the impression, that living in a family – or maybe even life as such – is a constant, hard fought battle with yourself and your messy circumstances. Something you have to be an Amazon to cope with. Personally, I think this is a rather one-sided picture. But then again, that might have something to do with my gender and my age?Anyway, you have to respect Liv Carlé Mortensen for her personal commitment. This is a book with absolutely no compromise and no filter between the artist and her work. Try to get adjusted to the amount of blood, and this is a book that probably won’t please you but certainly

won’t leave you untouched either. Part 4: Structures and shadowsIt’s arguable, that Photographs – a retrospective (Fotografisk center, 1999) by Marianne Engberg doesn’t belong on this list, since the photographer has lived and worked in New York since 1968. But after all she is Danish by birth and her book is Danish by origin.

Normally we would probably just smile a little if a person claims, that using a certain camera – be that a Nikon, a Hasselblad or whatever – would in itself make him or her a better photographer. It’s the result, not the equipment that matters, we would say. But for some funny reason, this doesn’t seem to be the case when the equipment in question is either old-fashioned or “retro” in some other way. A crappy Lomo is hip and shooting on wet plates is almost a guarantee that the outcome is art… The introductory essay on Engberg in this book explains in detail how and why she sold her Nikons and Hasselblads and turned to building her own pin-hole cameras out of cereal boxes. This explains why her photographs are circular, which is nice to know. Apart from that, I really don’t care.

Engberg shows us pictures of landscapes, cityscapes, shadows and still life. Throughout the book, her motives become more and more abstract and graphical, to the point where they are just shadows, created directly on the print with no camera involved. There is a certain tranquillity and dreamlike quality in Engbergs work. Especially her pictures of shadows fascinate me. But all in all, this book leaves me a bit under-nourished. It’s not only a small book – it’s also a book about a small world. My thoughts starts to drift away and I begin wondering what is outside the perfectly rounded shape of these pictures. Graphical is also the central term, when describing the works of Keld Helmer-Petersen. It has been said about Helmer-Petersen, that he is more well-known as an artist abroad than in his own country. It is a fact, that his first book was published simultaneously in Danish and English. It was 122 Colour Photographs(1948). The subject of this pioneering effort in colour photography was machine parts, signs, details of buildings – all with a graphically strong and colourful appearance.

A few years later, Helmer-Petersen

went to the US and Mexico on a study trip. One of the results was a series of photos from Chicago – published as Fragments of a city – consisting of light posts, stairways, window frames and other elements of the cityscapes. Again, the pictures were very graphical, but now in black and white, many of them reduced to black silhouettes on a light background. Structures in black and white became the signature of Helmer-Petersen, as can be seen in no less than two large retrospective volumes. The first one is Frameworks – Photographs 1950-1990 (Hans Reitzel Publishers, 1993) while the last – and most comprehensive – is Photographs 1941-1995 (Christian Ejlers Publishers, 2007). Helmer-Petersens is a remarkable pioneer of modernist photography. However, in retrospect it seems to me, that some of his photography – especially that of the 60′s – is mostly interesting today as typical signs of their time. To me, he’s earliest contributions, not the least the colour photographs of the late 1940′s, is still the most impressive. The colours photographs, by the way, are only included in the last of the retrospective volumes mentioned above. EpilogueAs noted in part 1, this list has been put together out of personal interest. I claim no professional authority what so ever in this field. And there is a distinct possibility, that I have overlooked an important book or two… However, what bothers me most is the fact, that some of the Danish photographers that I personally value very much are missing – for the simple reason, that they have not been published in English (as far as I know). Just to mention the most obvious: Viggo Rivad, who, since the late 1940′s has been a central figure in Danish photography. His photos and essays are in the tradition of European documentary. I’ve accidentally placed one of his books between Bresson

and Kertesz on my bookshelf – they seem to get along well… Marianne Grøndahl, who is a master of intimacy. Some of her portraits of artists are a bit introvert to my taste. But on a good day, when she takes her camera with her out into the world, she creates small miracles.

Krass Clement, who embodies classicism and experiments in one person. To me, he is first and foremost a master in depicting modern city life in all its complexity – mostly with a slight touch of melancholy. Clement is maybe the most obvious example of the limitations inherent in the list above. His book Berlin notat (“Berlin notes”, Gyldendal, 2005) is not on the list, since it is principally in Danish language. However, a part from the title it is practically without text – it doesn’t even have captions. But as a collection of photographs, it’s fantastic. Sometimes you are well advised, not to let a few foreign words get between you and a masterpiece.

The end.