Seven decades of photographs dazzle Getty
Rebekah Macy
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: A&E
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Born in 1894 to a Jewish-Hungarian family in Budapest, Hungary, Kertesz bought his first camera in 1912 while employed as a clerk at the Budapest stock exchange .
Beginning at that time, Kertesz considered his camera to be his personal journal, a type of visual diary, capturing the ordinary images of life such as peasants and animals.
During the early 1920s, Kertesz became bored with his surroundings and decided to venture out for new subject matter.
He relocated to Paris, France, in 1925 after three of his photographs were accepted to be displayed in a significant Budapest exhibit.
During his nine years of residence in Paris, Kertesz adapted Modernist methods to photography, such as the use of shadows and mirrors to bring the unnoticed into perspective.
He also supplied photographs of female nudes to Le Sourire (The Smile), a men's magazine that depicted risqué drawings and nude photographs of women.
To experiment and add intrigue to the photos, he used certain types of lenses while shooting at different angles, which resulted in distortions of the figures.
This fascination with distorted images began while he still resided in Hungary.
Kertesz shot a short series of a swimmer who appears distorted while underwater. Unfortunately, the only surviving photograph from this series is the famous "Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom, 1917."
The elongation and disproportional elements of the swimmer's body under the water is reminiscent of Mannerist style paintings, which remained popular in northern Italy from around 1520 to 1600.
When the Nazi Party began to strengthen, Kertesz moved to New York in 1936 where he would remain for the rest of his life.
Once there, he searched the streets of New York for captivating yet ordinary subject matter, as he had done in Paris.
This exhibit, hosted by the Getty Museum, surveys Kertesz's work over the course of 70 years.
His pieces are divided into three periods, which coincide with the three areas where he resided in throughout his lifetime: Hungary, 1912-1925; Paris, 1925-1936; and New York, 1936-1985.
Within each period of work, the style is unique and remains true to Kertesz's vision.
This exhibit is a great opportunity to view the works of one of the greatest photographers of the past century.
The Getty Museum is located at 1200 Getty Center Dr. off the 405 freeway in Los Angeles.
The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Admission is free. Parking is $8.
For more information, visit the website at www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.
Rebekah Macy can be reached at r.macy@yahoo.com
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