Fritz Pitz
Fritz Pitz (born March 19, 1923 in Bocholt ; † February 1, 2006 ibid) was an internationally known photographer and painter .
He became famous for his photo portraits of well-known personalities (especially visual artists) such as Salvador Dalí , Joseph Beuys , Henry Moore , David Hockney and Willy Brandt . He was a member of the Club of International Photographers, the Royal Photographic Society , the German Society for Photography and the Free German Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Born and raised in Bocholt, Pitz actually wanted to be a painter , but then decided to do an apprenticeship in his parents' photo studio . He then studied photography and painting at the “Technical School for Designing Crafts” in Weimar . He soon made a name for himself as a portrait photographer, who did not photograph people in artificial poses, but rather "as they really are". His famous portraits are all in black and white and are characterized by a very factual, reduced style. He rejected colored light, backdrops or soft focus and preferred to take photos under natural light.
Since 1955 his recordings have been shown in international exhibitions . B. in Copenhagen , Ghent or Hong Kong . His real “breakthrough” came in 1963 when he commissioned the Galerie de France to portray their artists (Dali, Manessier, George Mathieu). He became a kind of “house photographer” for the gallery . In 1970 pictures by Fritz Pitz were exhibited in the Louvre , as one of the very first photographers. Out of consideration for his family, he turned down the offer to come to Paris . In 1989, after a 42-year hiatus, Pitz found his way back to painting. His paintings contrast with the strict realism of his photography. They are abstract pictures that can be assigned to experimental art.
His hometown honored him in 1998 when he was awarded the city's ring of honor. Nevertheless, his relationship with Bocholt always remained divided. He once said in a newspaper interview that he feels like “a prophet who does not count in his own country”. While his works were hanging in the world's major museums, he lived in Bocholt on a pension of 140 euros and made passport photos (WDR, broadcast Mosaik on April 11, 2003).
His son Jörg has been running the studio as a photographer since his father's death.
literature
- Prof. Dr. Selhorst: artist portraits by Fritz Pitz Raesfeld 1967
- Kumi Sugai: Experiment Fritz Pitz , Paris 1967
- Fritz Pitz exhibition catalog Markisch Museum, Witten 1973
- Fritz Pitz. Exhibition September 9 to October 14, 1990 Coesfeld district, Münsterland Museum, Vischering Castle. Ludinghausen, 1990
- Fritz Pitz: artist portraits , exhibition catalog Museum Ludwig Cologne, 191/1992
- Volker Jakob: Fritz Pitz. The Master of Light , in: Westfalenspiegel 5/2003, pp. 52–53
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pitz, Fritz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German photographer and painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1923 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bocholt |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 1, 2006 |
| Place of death | Bocholt |