Newton. Horvat. Brodziak
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| The curator Matthias Harder in the exhibtion 2013 © Steven Kohlstock |
Matthias Harder is the chief curator at the Helmut
Newton Foundation since 2004. He was born in Kiel in 1965 and studied art
history, classical archaeology and philosophy in Kiel
(Christian-Albrechts-Universität) and Berlin (Freie Universität). He wrote his
M.A. thesis on K. O. Götz in 1994, and gained his PhD in 2002 with a thesis on
the temple photographs of Walter Hege and Herbert List. Now he presents the
current exhibition at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin under the
title Newton. Horvat. Brodziak, an explicit wish by Helmut
Newton upon establishing his foundation in Berlin. The exhibition shows a
selection of works of Helmut Newton alongside works by Frank Horvat, only eight
years younger than Newton, and Szymon Brodziak, born in 1979, and whose
link is their work lies at the intersection of fashion and portraiture.
How was the Newton. Horvat. Brodziak exhibition conceived?
In the past, we have also placed
works by other photographers alongside those of Helmut Newton. This time, with
Frank Horvat and Szymon Brodziak we invited representatives of two different
generations – working in fashion photography in the 1950s/1960s and today – who
have each contributed in their own way to the spirit of the times. Horvat personally
knew Newton quite well, and they both worked for various renowned magazines.
Brodziak makes clear references to Newton in his work.
The
exhibition presentation text explains you looked for photographers whose work
oscillates between fashion and portrait photography. Are fashion and art
compatible concepts?
We are following Helmut Newton’s original
idea of also providing a forum for other photographers and artists at his
foundation. Newton notably worked in all three genres – fashion, nudes, and
portraits – so it makes sense that the photographers we invite are active in
these fields as well. The question about photography and art cannot be so
quickly answered, but I’ll say this much: Newton himself never described his
work as art.
How
would you describe the work of Helmut Newton?
His work is marked by a timeless and
radical elegance that is unrivalled. As he has said before in interviews, he
repeatedly tried to work against the notion of “good taste”. One of his mottos
was “to beat the system” – and he succeeded in doing so very well and for quite
a long time. He remained curious and contemporary in his visual language
throughout his life. This is why he continued to be booked by so many magazines
and other clients up until the very end.
What’s
his influence in the current photography?
His influence remains strong to this
day. While some contemporary photographers are inspired by him in a more subtle
way, others have been known to copy his iconic works rather blatantly.
What
is the link with Frank Horvat?
Newton and Horvat knew each other
since the 1950s and were close friends. One of the reasons why we invited Frank
with his project “House with Fifteen Keys,” is that it reaches back to this
time.
He
was very influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson. What can you tell us about
Horvat’s work?
Cartier-Bresson influenced many
photographers, not only Horvat. I assume that, for him, it was more the “human
interest” aspect of his work, which also reflected the spirit of the times,
than Cartier-Bresson’s notion of the “decisive moment”. Horvat’s work not only
comprises fashion photography: the woman as a self-confident, natural being is
one of his focal points, but persisting parallel to that are enigmatic and
narrative symbolic images. And behind his uniquely complex body of work is an
extraordinary, multifaceted personality.
To
make a selection of works from the Helmut Newton and Frank Horvat catalogue
must be quite a difficult task. What were the criteria?
Every exhibition begins with an idea.
In this case, it was the idea to bring together these three photographers. Before
the current exhibition, we showed a large selection from Helmut Newton’s permanent
loan collection on the entire floor, and now we have the smaller second part of
the collection. This again includes original prints by Newton, including many vintage
prints, which he presented to the foundation on permanent loan upon its
establishment, and so we had to work with the existing photographic formats. With
Horvat, it was similar: the exhibition project already existed and we only had
to come up with a sensible hanging concept.
The
young Polish photographer Szymon Brodziak already has a brilliant career.
What’s his main trademark?
Szymon is an intensive storyteller – just
as much with the camera as he is with the postproduction of his photographs.
His fashion and commercial images exude a relaxed and refined elegance. The
settings he creates for his photographic stagings and predominantly female cast
are large, real, and unconventional. Through this, he reflects the usual
clichés of the advertising world – and simultaneously questions them.
How
did he react to the idea of showing his work beside that of Horvat and Newton?
It was rather simple: June Newton,
our foundation president, invited him to participate in the exhibition.
Has
Szymon Brodziak collaborated in the selection of his works?
Szymon and I worked together to
choose the images from a larger selection, and we also decided on the formats
together, especially with respect to the central exhibition space of the
foundation. It was a very open and fruitful collaboration.
What
does this exhibition mean to you?
In its juxtaposition of generations, this
exhibition shows how lines of tradition continue to be woven, and at the same
time reveals contemporary approaches to the medium of photography. The production,
distribution, and reception of photographic images have changed drastically in
recent years. When we work with classics or living legends of the medium, we usually
do not show these changes; this time it is different.
The
last question is more personal. Could you tell us a dream you’ve had while
sleeping?
I dreamt I could fly, without any props.
I recently saw the wonderful film "Birdman" – maybe the dream had to do with
that, who knows.
Newton. Horvat. Brodziak
Exhibition at the Helmut Newton Foundation until
November 15
An interview by Juan
Carlos Romero
Photo by © Steven
Kohlstock
Courtesy of the Helmut Newton
Foundation
All rights reserved