Kurt Blum

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Kurt Blum (born August 25, 1922 in Bern ; † December 30, 2005 there ) was a Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker .

Life

Kurt Blum completed an apprenticeship in photography in Burgdorf from 1939 to 1942 and studied graphics, painting and photography from 1940 to 1942 at the School of Applied Arts in Bern (today: Bern University of the Arts ). He initially worked as a photographer for the Bern State Library and then as a freelance industrial photographer and documentary filmmaker for industrial companies. In the 1950s and 1960s, Blum created photographs and films for industrial clients as well as documentaries about artists and others. a. about Pablo Picasso . In 1981 he opened a gallery for painting and photography in Praz / Vully.

His work has been shown in numerous international solo and group exhibitions and has been published in various illustrated books. Blum is one of the most important representatives of 20th century photography. His works can be seen in several museums and collections, for example in the Kunstmuseum Bern , and are offered as collector's items at high prices at auctions.

Blum became famous for his portraits of well-known artists. He portrayed Fernand Léger , Georges Braque , Pablo Picasso, Sam Francis , Mark Rothko , Alberto Giacometti , Marc Chagall , Willem de Kooning and many other contemporary artists. What is unusual about his portraits is that they were almost exclusively created in the artist's studios and provide an important insight into their work.

Awards

  • 1951: Big Photo Award from Camera magazine
  • 1960: Venice Gold Medal for the film "Man, Fire and Iron"
  • 1985: Grand Photo Prize of the Canton of Bern (recognition of the entire work)

literature

  • Bernische Kunstgesellschaft (ed.): Kurt Blum au milieu des artistes. Foreword: Eberhard W. Kornfeld . Exhibition catalog, Galerie Keller. Editions Ides et Calendes, Paris 1987, ISBN 2825800643 . As annual edition of the Bernische Kunstgesellschaft: 1994, ISBN 2-8258-0063-5 (German)
  • Fotostiftung Schweiz (Ed.): Kurt Blum, Gegenlicht - Photographs With texts by Nanni Baltzer, Martin Gasser, Sylvie Henguely, Thilo Koenig and Fred Zaugg. Limmat-Verlag, Zurich 2012, ISBN 9783857916717 (German)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Blum, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker
DATE OF BIRTH August 25, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH December 30, 2005
Place of death Bern