Gottfried Jäger

Gottfried Jäger (born May 13, 1937 in Burg ) is a German photographer , photo theorist and former university professor.

Life

Gottfried Jäger, son of the burger photographer Ernst Jäger (1913–1998), learned the photography trade from 1954 to 1958 with the photographer master Siegried Baumann in Bielefeld (journeyman certificate 1957). He then studied photo engineering at the State Higher Technical School for Photography in Cologne (graduation 1960: Ing. Grad., Postgraduate diploma 1982: Dipl.-Ing.). In 1960 he passed the master's examination in photography in Cologne.

In 1960 Jäger accepted a position as a technical teacher for photography at the Werkkunstschule Bielefeld and expanded the teaching area here as a basic artistic subject. In 1972, this led to the establishment of the specialization in photo / film design at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences , which is now the field of photography and media. In the same year Jäger was appointed professor for photography / film at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences with the teaching areas Artistic Basics of Photography, Photography and Generative Image Systems; In 1984 he founded the Research Focus (FSP) Photography and Media with the annual Bielefeld Photo Symposia. 1998–2002 Jäger was Visiting Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (RMIT) Melbourne. In 2002 he retired in Bielefeld.

On the occasion of his retirement, the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences paid tribute to him “ through his work and work ”, “ Jäger has made a decisive contribution to ensuring that photography is named on an equal footing with the arts of painting and sculpture. He coined the claim of photography as an art form as early as 1968 with the term 'generative photography', which stands for a systematic-constructive direction in artistic photography. "

Jäger was dean of the design department for eight years and, from 1993 to 1997, prorector for research and development at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. Since 2008 he has been a member of the University Council of the FH Bielefeld; He is a member, honorary member and has long been the chairman of numerous photographic associations (DFA, DGPh, BFF, FFA). In 1992 he received the George Eastman Medal from Kodak AG Germany; 1996 the David Octavius ​​Hill Medal of the German Photographic Academy (DFA).

2011, hunters with the theme "microphotography as Obsession: The photographic work of Carl Strüwe (1898-1988)" by the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature at the University of Bielefeld , Dr. phil. PhD.

plant

When he began teaching at the Werkkunstschule Bielefeld, he produced experimental photographic works, such as “Themes and Variations” between 1960 and 1965. In each case, a single shot is serially , controlled and varied step by step with various photographic design parameters . The sometimes extensive series of images ultimately lead to photo compositions in the sense of Concrete Art , whose works dispense with representational depiction and representation in favor of free imagination. One example of this are 21 light graphics that Jäger created in 1964 as a visual counterpart to the text “Roman” by the German writer Helmut Heißenbüttel .

In 1968 Gottfried Jäger introduced the term generative photography for an image- generating photography on a systematic-constructive basis as the title of an exhibition at the Bielefelder Kunsthaus. In addition to his own works, works by Kilian Breier, Pierre Cordier and Hein Gravenhorst were also involved. The expression goes back to the Generative Aesthetics (1965) of the German philosopher Max Bense , with which he propagated a rational, apparatus-controlled art in the emerging computer age. Generative photography works follow a programmed design that applies mathematical and numerical parameters to artistic projects, and which also means a further development of 'concrete' artistic approaches.

An expression of this is Gottfried Jäger's group of pinhole structures from 1967 to 1973: around 200 black-and-white and colored light graphics based on the point of light that forms geometrically determined structures with the help of a multi- pinhole camera (camera obscura) developed in-house.

In his camera photographs of natural and technical objects from 1977 to 1991, Jäger consistently pursues the serial principle of logical steps.

From 1983 the photographic material works form a separate group of works, in which the photographic paper no longer appears as an image carrier but as an object of the artistic process. This created photo objects, photo installations and situational minute exhibitions in museums and galleries. They follow less a programmed procedure in the sense of generative photography than spontaneous inspirations in dealing with the peculiarities of the photographic material, such as its imaging properties, its peculiar surfaces and its pronounced plastic qualities. Typical photographic terms such as “Graukeil” (1983), “Lichteinfall”, “Fotoecken” (both 1985) or “Abbild” (2000) are put into the picture.

“Mosaics” were created as digital works from 1994 and “Generative Images” from 1996. Both groups of works are inspired by and derived from the optical program of the pinhole structures, but modify it through digitization and lead to their own visual works. So to the “Snapshots” (2003), photographic snapshots comparable “clicks” from the infinite cosmos of the computer - but still on a geometrical-constructive basis. More recent works under the series title “Photos” (2004) deal with 'photographisms'. As such, phototypical aesthetic appearances are to be seen - which in this case are no longer generated and executed photographically, but computer graphics (Digigraphien ™).

Awards

• 1996: David Octavius ​​Hill Medal from the Society of German Photographers
• 2014: Culture Prize 2014 of the German Society for Photography

Solo exhibitions (selection)

• 1964 Gottfried Jäger. Photographs, light graphics. Art Salon Otto Fischer, Bielefeld.
• 1975 Gottfried Jäger. Apparative graphic. Galerie Le Disque Rouge, Brussels.
• 1982 Gottfried Jäger. Photographs. Generative work. Photo museum in the Munich City Museum.
• 1986 Gottfried Jäger. Generative photo work. Photo Medium Art Gallery, Wrocław.
• 1990 Gottfried Jäger. Photo paper works photo installations. Gallery Anita Neugebauer, Basel.
• 1994 Gottfried Jäger. Interface. Generative work. Bielefelder Kunstverein , Museum Waldhof, catalog.
• 1995 Gottfried Jäger. Photo Paper Works. Michael Senft - One Bond Gallery, New York.
• 1998 Gottfried Jäger. Photographica. Arrigo Gallery, Zurich.
• 1999 Gottfried Jäger. Melbourne Experience. VISCOM 9 Gallery, Dep. Visual Communication, RMIT-University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology).
• 2000 Gottfried Jäger. Generative images. Lutz Teutloff Gallery, Bielefeld, catalog.
• 2006 Gottfried Jäger and his collection of concrete photography. 16th Gmunden Symposium on Current Art, Gmunden, Austria, book documentation.
• 2011 Gottfried Jäger: consequences of consequences of consequences of consequences of consequences. Concrete photography. Photo Edition Berlin.

Group exhibitions (selection)

• 1965 Photography '65. Experimental European photography. Huidevettershuis, Bruges, catalog.
• 1966 photography between science and art. Photokina, Cologne, catalog.
• 1968 Generative photography. Kilian Breier, Pierre Cordier, Hein Gravenhorst, Gottfried Jäger. City Kunsthaus Bielefeld, catalog.
• 1969 Experiments in Art and Technology. Brooklyn Museum, New York, Catalog.
• 1969 Nova tendencija 4. New artistic tendencies. Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, Zagreb, catalog.
• 1970–1976 Paths to Computer Art. Traveling exhibition of the German Goethe-Instituts, including Berlin (IDZ), Zurich (ETH), Goethe-Instituts Tokyo, São Paulo, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Bordeaux (SIGMA 9, 1973), Marseille, Angers: London (Polytechnic of Central) etc., catalogs.
• 1975 Generative photography: Pierre Cordier, Karl Martin Holzhäuser , Gottfried Jäger. Internationaal Cultureel Centrum Antwerp, catalog.
• 1980 German photographers after 1945. Kunstverein Kassel 1979; PPS Gallery Hamburg 1980; Overbeck Society Lübeck, catalog.
• 1982 5th International Biennial Advanced Photography. Wiener Secession, Vienna, catalog.
• 1984 Lensless Photography. The Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia, 1983, catalog; IBM Gallery, New York, prospectus.
• 1986 positions in experimental photography. Bielefeld authors. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, catalog.
• 1989/1990 The photo as an autonomous image. Experimental design 1839–1989. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, 1989; Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, catalog.
• 1989/1990 document and invention. Photographs from the Federal Republic of Germany 1945 to the present day. German Photographic Academy GDL, Berlin, Freiburg i. Br. 1989; Philadelphia 1990, catalog.
• 1991 appearance and time. Photography in a generative context (with Markus Jäger). Photo gallery picture, Baden, Switzerland, prospectus.
• 1994 Horizon of Korean Photography. Seoul (Korea), catalog.
• 1995 László Moholy-Nagy: Idea and Effect. Echoes of his work in contemporary art. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, catalog.
• 1996 La corn de la licorne. Alchemy optique. Rencontres Intern. de la Photographie, Arles, France, catalog.
• 2000 abstract photography. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, catalog.
• 2002ff. Concrete art in Europe after 1945. Peter C. Ruppert Collection. Museum in the Kulturspeicher Würzburg, permanent exhibition, catalog.
• 2006 Concrete photography - Concrete photography. Design with light without a camera. Museum in the Kulturspeicher Würzburg. Book Concrete Photography / Konkrete Fotografie, Bielefeld, 2005.
• 2007 The New Trends. A European artist movement 1961–1973. Museum for Concrete Art Ingolstadt, catalog.
• 2007/2009 Bit international - Nove tendencije. Computer and visual research. Zagreb 1961–1973. Graz: New gallery at the Landesmuseum Joanneum, 2007; Karlsruhe: ZKM, 2009, catalogs.
• 2009 Karl Martin Holzhäuser, Gottfried Jäger: Realer Schein. Works 2008. Epson Kunstbetrieb Düsseldorf, catalog.
• 2010 Konkrét Fotó, Fotogram. Vasarely Múseum Budapest, catalog.

Books and catalogs (selection)

• Herbert W. Franke, Gottfried Jäger: Apparative art. From the kaleidoscope to the computer. Cologne: Verlag M. DuMont Schauberg, 1973, ISBN 3-7701-0660-1 .
• Gottfried Jäger, Karl Martin Holzhäuser: Generative photography. Theoretical foundation, compendium and examples of photographic image design. Ravensburg: Otto Maier Verlag, 1975, ISBN 3-473-61555-2 .
• Gottfried Jäger: Carl Strüwe. The photographic work 1924–1962. Düsseldorf: Edition Marzona, Retrospective Photography series, 1982, ISBN 3-921420-18-3 .
• Gottfried Jäger (editor), Jörg Boström, Karl Martin Holzhäuser: Against the indifference of photography. The Bielefeld Symposia on Photography 1979–1985. Contributions to the aesthetic theory and practice of photography. Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. Düsseldorf: Edition Marzona, 1986, ISBN 3-921420-27-X .
• Gottfried Jäger: Imaging Photography. Photography - light graphics - light painting. Origins, concepts and specifics of an art form. Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag, 1988, ISBN 3-7701-1860-X .
• Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): Bielefelder photo life. A brief cultural history of photography in Bielefeld and the region 1896–1989. Developments in craft, press, design, art and universities. Bielefeld, Düsseldorf: Edition Marzona, 1989, ISBN 3-921420-36-9 .
• Gottfried Jäger: Photo aesthetics. On the theory of photography. Texts from the years 1965 to 1990. Munich: Verlag Laterna magica, 1991, ISBN 3-87467-466-5 .
• Gottfried Jäger: Indices. Generative work 1967–1996. Three projects. Published by Claudia Gabriele Philipp on the occasion of the 1996 David Octavius ​​Hill Medal awarded by the German Photographic Academy in connection with the art prize of the city of Leinfelden-Echterdingen. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-924639-62-0 .
• Gottfried Jäger, Gudrun Wessing (ed.): About lászló moholy – nagy. Results of the International László Moholy-Nagy-Symposium, Bielefeld, 1995. On the 100th birthday of the artist and Bauhaus teacher. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-924639-77-9 .
• Andreas Dress, Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): Visualization in Mathematics, Science and Art. Basics and Applications. Braunschweig, Wiesbaden: Vieweg Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-528-06912-0 .
• Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): Thinking Photography. About Vilém Flusser's philosophy of media modernity. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2001, ISBN 3-933040-42-6 .
• Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): The Art of Abstract Photography / The Art of Abstract Photography . Stuttgart, New York: Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2002, ISBN 3-89790-015-7 .
• Jörg Boström, Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): Can photography capture our time in pictures? A time-critical balance sheet / Can Photography Capture our Time in Images? A time-critical balance. 25 Years Bielefeld Symposia on Photography and Media 1979–2004 / 25 Years Bielefeld Symposia about Photography and Media 1979–2004. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-936646-69-4 .
• Gottfried Jäger, Rolf H. Krauss, Beate Reese: Concrete Photography / Konkrete Fotografie. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-936646-74-0 .
• Gottfried Jäger: Ernst Jäger. Photographer. Burg: Dorise Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-937973-75-3 .
• Martin Roman Deppner, Gottfried Jäger (Ed.): Thought processes of photography. 30 years of Bielefeld Photo Symposia 1979–2009. Contributions to image theory. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-86678-366-9 .
• Gottfried Jäger: Microphotography as an obsession. The photographic work of Carl Strüwe (1898–1988). Dissertation. Bielefeld: Verlag für Druckgrafik Hans Gieselmann, 2011.

Bibliography (selection)

• Herbert W. Franke: Bridge between art and technology: Gottfried Jäger's graphic design. In: Magazin Kunst (Mainz), No. 1/1975, p. 123.
• Petr Tausk: Op Art and Photography. About pinhole structures by Gottfried Jäger. In: ders., The history of photography in the 20th century. Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag, 1977, pp. 165–166.
• Wolfgang Kemp: Gottfried Jäger: Generative Photography. In: Theory of Photography III. 1945–1980. Munich: Schirmer / Mosel, 1983, pp. 458-460.
• Walter Koschatzky: Generative Photography. G. Jäger's principles lead to masterful performance. In: ders .: The art of photography. Technology, history, masterpieces. Salzburg, Vienna: Residenz Verlag, 1984, p. 367, 422–423. Reprint: dtb, 1987, pp. 260-261.
• Eric Renner: Pinhole Revival in Art: The 1960s and 1970s. Gottfried Jäger proclaims ... In: ders .: Pinhole Photography. Rediscovering a Historic Technique. Boston, London: Focal Press, 1995, pp. 50-52.
• Gerhard Glüher: Blurred Contours, Whirring Contours. In: NIKE New Art in Europe (Munich), No. 53/1995, pp. 36–37.
• Manfred Strecker: Photography becomes sheer art. With the 25th Bielefeld Symposium on Photography and Media, Gottfried Jäger's era in the design department ends. In: Neue Westfälische (Bielefeld), November 29, 2004.
• Anais Feyeux: La Generative Photography. Entre demon de l'exactitude et rage de l'histoire. In: Études photographiques. Revue semestrielle. No. 18/2006, pp. 52-71. Paris: Société Francaise de Photographie, ISBN 2-911961-18-8 .
• Klaus Honnef: Gottfried Jäger. Imaging systems. Concrete photography. In: Gisela Burkamp (ed.): Kunstverein Oerlinghausen , Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2006, pp. 52–57.
• Andreas Krase: Gottfried Jäger. Pinhole structures and mosaics. In: ders. (Ed.): True signs. Photography and Science , Catalog, Technical Collections / Museums of the City of Dresden, 2006, pp. 28–31.
• Andreas Beaugrand (Ed.): Gottfried Jäger. Photography as a generative system. Pictures and texts 1960–2007. Bielefeld: Verlag für Druckgrafik Hans Gieselmann, 2007, ISBN 978-3-923830-60-2 .
• Gudrun Wessing: An experimental photo life. Gottfried Jäger has taken the limits of photography. In: TOP-Magazin Bielefeld , No. 4/2008, pp. 116–119.
• Maria Frickenstein: Old Spirit in New Art. The Jäger family has a passion for photography and art. About the exhibition and book Ernst Jäger, photographer in Burg, Neue Westfälische (Bielefeld), January 8, 2010.
• Jerzy Olek: Czysta Widzialnosc (About Gottfried Jäger, interview with numerous illustrations). In: artluck (Warszawa) 1st quarter, No. 15/2010, pp. 20-25.
• Manuela De Leonardis: Intervista Gottfried Jäger (August 12, 2010): Limmagine libera dell'occhio di bimbo. In: il manifesto. quotidiano comunista , September 21, 2010.
• Alexandra Holownia: Gottfried Jäger. In: foto wystawy , no. 7/2011, pp. 16–19.

Images in collections (selection)

• Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg (light graphics for H. Heißenbüttel).
• Sprengel Museum Hannover (Käthe Schroeder photography collection).
• City Museum Abteiberg Mönchengladbach (Etzold Collection: Program – Chance – System).
• Kunsthalle Bielefeld (graphic collection).
• Photo museum in the Munich City Museum.
• George Eastman House Rochester, NY
• City Archives Leinfelden-Echterdingen (Collection of the German Photographic Academy).
• Museum Ludwig Cologne (photographic collection).
• Bibliothèque Nationale Paris (photographic collection).
• Schupmann Collection Söhrewald.
• Museum in the Kulturspeicher Würzburg (Peter C. Ruppert Collection, Concrete Art in Europe after 1945).
• Folkwang Museum Essen (photographic collection).
• Kunsthalle Bremen (Herbert W. Franke Collection, Paths to Computer Art).

literature

• Contemporary Photographers, 2nd Edition. Chicago, London: St. James Press, 1988, pp. 496-498.
• Hans-Michael Koetzle: Lexicon of Photographers 1900 to today. Munich: Knaur, 2002, pp. 218–219.
• Reinhold Mißelbeck (Ed.): Prestel-Lexicon of Photographers. From the beginning in 1839 to the present. Munich et al: Prestel, 2002, p. 127.
• Kürschner's Handbook of Fine Artists. Leipzig: KG Saur Verlag, 2007.
• Bernd Stiegler, Felix Thürlemann : Masterpieces of Photography , Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun., 2011, pp. 272–273.

Web links

• Literature by and about Gottfried Jäger in the catalog of the German National Library
• Official website with picture
• Gallery representation Photo Edition Berlin

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Andreas Beaugrand (Ed.): Gottfried Jäger. Photography as a generative system. Pictures and texts 1960–2007. Bielefeld: Verlag für Druckgrafik Hans Gieselmann, 2007, ISBN 978-3-923830-60-2 . P. 269
2. ↑ http://www.fh-bielefeld.de/Über+uns/Hochschulrat/Mitglieder/Professor+Gottfried+Jäger.html  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Press release of the German Society for Photography , accessed on January 9, 2014.