The popular perception of Munch as a mostly melancholic painter ("The Scream") has changed since the latest exhibition of his photographs at the Schirn in Frankfurt. It sheds a new light on his way of life and work and really new for me was his exploration of photography.
It is interesting to see how the history of art shapes the image of a well-known artist. Walking through the exhibition you become aware of this. What you think you know could be a unidirectional apprehension.
The selection of work shows that the Norwegian artist was much less introverted and traveled all around Europe to maintain contacts and manage his art, namely in Paris, Nice, Copenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden…
Also his technique was anything but single-track. He was quite the experimental photographer. He didn’t seem to mind blurring, doubles, and perhaps he shot the first self-portraits with stretched out arms! He also had no documentary interest, arranged his paintings in groups like people in a special surronding. Not to forget his film-exploration (looks a little like LomoKino).
In the end it is really obvious how his photographic aesthetic influences his painings. He uses extreme vanishing point composition and motifs (often people at the bottom), cut off at the edge of an image.
For me, it is really a reassessment of Munch as a visual artist.
The exhibition can be seen until May 13, 2012 in Frankfurt before it moves to the Tate Modern in London.
10 comments
why-yu
this is a great artist!!! thanks for the article, very interesting! which he photographed the camera, it is known?
alex34
Excellent article!
mapix
@alex34 @why-yu thanks for your comments! he used a Kodak No.2 Bulls-Eye, which is one of the very early Kodak cameras. He often took photos of himself. "Selfportrait à la Marat" is from 1908, the others from about 1930.
bloomchen
nice article.
fruchtzwerg_hh
Great article, thanks for sharing this!
mich
... in the end it is really obvious how his photographic aesthetic influences his painings... well placed slip of the tongue :) --- & good written article all the way. edvard still rules.
mapix
;) haha @mich ...thanks for your words
troch
Thanks for sharing this exhibit for those of us who can't catch it in the gallery!
jaminsemirang
Much was a great artist. I adore the depth and sorrow in his works.
Good to see his other works, thanks for sharing!
superlighter
the world of art is often full of surprises, I never know about Munch as a photographer, good to know. thank you for this great article.