Albert Renger-Patzsch(1897-1966) was born in Würzburg, Germany. He lived and and worked in Essen and Wamel, Germany.
German photographer Albert Ranger-Patzsch was a ground breaking figure in the New Objective movement, which was made to engage with the world and people in it as much as possible.
Moving away form the ideals and subjects that are highly prized of a previous generation, Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) emerged as a trend in German art, architecture and literature in the 1920s. Applying this attitude to the field of photography, Renger-Patzsch adopted the camera’s ability to produce a direct visual recording of the world. ‘There must be an increase in the joy one takes in an object, and the photographer should be fully conscious of the splendid fidelity of reproduction made possible by his technique’, he wrote.
This selection reflects the range of subjects that Renger-Patzsch would always come back to throughout his career. It includes his early wildlife and botanical studies, images of traditional craftsmen, formal studies of mechanical equipment, commercial still lifes, and landscape and architectural studies. His images of the Ruhrregion, where he moved in 1928, document the industrialisation of the area in an extreme amount of detail. All of his work demonstrates his continued interest in the camera’s capability to capture to the beauty and complexity of the modern worl
To begin with I cropped the image down to get rid of the blurred edges that where caused by the window frame. This left me with a clear image of the structure.
Process of Editing
My next step was to adjust the image while it was in colour, I adjusted the contrast to make the colours more vibrant and I also adjusted the exposure to capture the light in the right corner of the image more vividly.
Process of Editing
Next I cropped out one of the structural lines and duplicated this into another layer and then proceeded to do this again. I did this to create a more geometric abstract image.
Process of Editing
For my final step I edited the separate colour vibrancy in the blues and cyan’s I did this to make my photograph more vibrant and to pop.
White balance is a setting on the camera that interprets the colour in the scene. There are different options when using white balance which include, auto, tungsten, fluorescent, daylight, cloudy and flash. They all produce different colour in the same photo.
Here in these photo gallery I have photographed the same scene but in different white balance settings. I photographed the same object inside and outside, this enabled me to change the settings on the camera to get the right aperture so the photo wasn’t too bright or dark.
Here in these 2 photo gallery’s I have photographed my object inside and outside, but changing the white balance settings too see how it affected the photo. I can see that certain settings bring out more colour than other, for example some of the photos are more orange than other and some are more blue.
Inside Photos
Outside photos
Inside Photos
Outside Photos
When photographing outside I had to change the shutter speed, so the photo would let less light into it, otherwise the photo would be too bright. Increasing the shutter speed results in the photo letting less light into the photo, the shutter speed is normally increased when outside because of the sun light and different tones around you.
Complete Case Study on Albert Renger-Patszch / New Objectivity
Lesson 2 :
Camera Skills (focus control, depth of field, focal length)
Photoshop skills
Lesson 3:
Camera Skills (ISO / WB / Exposure settings)
Photoshop skills
Lesson 4:
Complete blog posts on camera skills / photoshop skills
Analysis skills (look at key example)
Click this PDF link for a range of resources and that we will be exploring to help you generate new and different ideas whilst learning what ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHY can be and how to use your camera and adapt your photographs…
You must experiment with ease of these skill areas and produce a blog post on each that includes evidence of your experiments and successes…
The images should be of an abstract nature, and show an appreciation of abstract qualities such as line, shape, colour, form, texture, pattern, repetition, symmetry
Using Auto-Focus
Using Manual Focus
Using focus points
White Balance
ISO
Aperture
Focal Length
Depth of Field
Fast / Slow Shutter Speed
Photoshop Skills
Cropping
Selections
Adjustments and corrections
Transforming an image
Layer control
Image size / canvas size
Double exposures
Opacity control
Blending layer / options
Working towards a vision…
Use this method to analyse key images
Rule of Thirds
James Welling
Although these images, entitled ‘Abstract Photographs‘ resemble sheets of paper they are, in fact, made from filo (phyllo) pastry dough. The artist explains: “A lot of my work is intuitive and comes from just trying different things. With the money from the sale of my first aluminum foil photograph, I bought a wooden 8-by-10 camera and started photographing draped cloth. At the same time I was also photographing crumpled shards of dry phyllo dough. Without much premeditation, I combined the two, and sprinkled dough on the draped cloth. Against the dark fabric, the dough suggested, perhaps, torn book pages from the diary I’d photographed, or geological debris fallen from above.” Welling has also experimented with other unlikely materials such as tinfoil, gelatin and ceramic tiles.
Brendan Austin
Brendan Austin creates imaginary landscapes out of crumpled pieces of paper. He calls them ‘Paper Mountains‘. Austin examines what we mean by nature and the way humans have impacted upon it. “The isolated desert city running on oil generators, the mars like landscapes of a volcanic environment and the mountains made from paper all attempt to start a conversation concerning the loss of meaning and reality.” The resulting images appear both recognisable as landscapes but also suggest a sense of artifice. Humble materials are made to carry an important message.
Example instructions
You could:
Research the history of abstraction in photography. Check out the images on this Pinterest board. Watch this video discussion about the history of abstraction in photography. Watch this vodcastwhich explores some famous and not so famous examples of photographic abstraction.
Write a short introduction explaining your understanding of abstraction in photography.
Choose a quotation that helps you to think about the meaning of abstraction in art and photography.
Find your own resources and document them on your web page or in your book with a description of what you have learned from them.
Create a series of Galleries featuring the work of Francis Bruguière, Jaroslav Rössler, Vjeko Sager, Jerry Reed, Tamara Lorenz and James Welling including your understanding of their work in the context of abstraction.
Albert Renger Patzsch (June 22, 1897- September 27, 1966) was a German photographer who was part of the New Objectivity movement. He wanted to engage with the world clearly and precisely. The New Objectivity appeared as a movement in German art, architecture and literature in the 1920s. Using this attitude to photography, Renger Patzsch used his camera to produce a true recording of the world. His works includes wildlife and botanical studies, traditional craftsmen, mechanical equipment, landscape and architectural studies.
In 1928 Renger Patzsch published The world is beautiful, which is his best known book. It is a collection of one hundred photographs which presents natural forms, industrial subjects and mass produced objects. He reveals patterns of beauty and order in natural and man made objects. This book made Renger Patzsch one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century.
New Objectivity
Rejection of sentimentality and idealism
Showing things as they are, clearly and precisely
Concentration of certain subjects
Other photographers at the time who were interested in objectivity
Karl Blossfeldt
August Sander
Edward Weston
Glasses, 1927
This is my favourite image by Albert Renger-Patzsch. Glasses of different sizes and forms have been laid out on a white table to create a visually interesting composition. The composition of this image has been thought through since the top edges of the glasses and the end of the shadows touch the corners of the image to fill the entire frame. The lighting, coming from the right hand side, is creating long shadows to dramatize the image and help define the form of the glasses. The formal element line can be seen through the shadows the glasses have casted. Since the image is in black and white, contrast is clearly visible through shadows and areas of highlight which help create depth to the image.
My response
To response to Albert Renger Patzsch photography work I will capture 100 or more images in black and white to replicate his style. I will take pictures using the Hipstamatic app on my iphone with the lens Florence and the film BlackKeysXF. The lens captures images clearly and the film makes them black and white instantly. I think that this effect creates lots of contrast and shows highlights and shadows effectively. After I have taken the 100 images, I will make a selection to have a smaller set of images.
He was a German photographer, born June 22nd, 1897 in Wurzburg. He was largely associated with the new objectivity, he began taking photographs at the age of 12. Albert fought in World War One and after studied chemistry at Dresden Technical College, later he worked for Chicago Tribune as a press photographer. After this he began to publish books, his most well-known is ‘The World Is Beautiful’, it includes a collection of 100 of his photos. His photos in this book showed structure but also bought up the beauty of patterns and order amongst nature and man-made materials. He took pictures early on in his career of wildlife and botanical plants, then he progressed to images of traditional craftsmen, mechanical equipment, still life’s, landscapes and architecture.
The New objectivity is the rejection of idealism and sentimentality and is about seeing things for what they are. Photos are of a certain object which is the only focal point, filters and manipulations other than black and white are avoided. This type of photography depicts reality, it speaks truth, rationality and accuracy, what you see is what you get. This objective movement is also known as the ‘sober eye’ as it doesn’t have hidden concepts or imagery, it just speaks for its self without need for meaning. Photographers around the time of Albert (1920) used it as an act against expressionism which was modern art movement at the time in which through poetry and painting an artist would present the world solely from a subjective perspective, which is the complete opposite to new objectivity. Expressionism was created to provoke individual ideas and thoughts, whereas new objectivity was made to provoke political agendas and rational thoughts. The camera was used in a way to embrace the camera’s mechanical ability to capture the real world in a clear and objective manner.
Decades later in Germany photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher resonated the new objectivity approach, the duo’s work was structured like Albert’s as it was held together in a grid structure of black and white. They had similar focal points to their pictures like Albert, for instance some of very industrial looking buildings and others of buildings with character, this links back to Renger’s nature vs. man-made objects.
Albert Renger-Patzsch was a German photographer who was born on the 22nd of June 1897, and died on 27th of September 1966. He was well know for being involved in the “Neue Sachlichkeit” movement. This movement- literally named ” new objectivity”- consisted of artists taking images of more realistic things compared to Abstract and expressionism, which was common during these times.
Albert Renger-Patzsch was born on June 22nd, 1897 in Germany. He began taking photographs at age 12, after his military service in the First World War. In the early 1920 he worked as a press photographer, but soon after he became a freelancer and published his own book. Albert Renger-Patzsch has created a photographic gallery called ‘The World is Beautiful’. He developed this series into a catalogue of objects, which soon became one of the most influential books ever published. His clinical like images clearly showed technical apparatus, industrial products and natural organisms in great detail.
Neue Sachlichkeit created a term called new objectivity, where he attempted to capture and embrace realism instead of abstraction. He combined realism with a ‘hint’ of Dada Movement, which was an art movement of the European Avant-grade in the early 20th Century. The realism captured was not the stereotypical realism, but a more disguised and dark realism which is aimed to show the moral shame which happened in the German Society. These photographs tended to have a more static composition (The majority of lines used are either horizontal or vertical, which can be seen as smooth and calming on the eye.) which helped render the clarity of the photograph. The aim of these images that Sachlichkeit captured was to show the truth and reality of current affairs, however, he wanted to avoid social and political commentary.
Within Patzsch’s series ‘The World is Beautiful’ we are able to see his attempt of new objectivity. He presents the subject of the photographs exactly how they are, which also presents the rejection of sentimentality. He has used a static composition within his images which shows the subject in great detail. Contextually, he used new objectivity to show the chaos which the First World War had provoked, Response to industrialising Europe and America and response to qualities of a camera and the
movement away from techniques like a soft focus. Patzsch was said to have mainly captured:
Wildlife
Landscape
Mechanical Equipment
Flowers
Architecture
In Patzsch’s photographic response to these events in time, he explored formal elements, which has made his work more powerful. The main elements which are presented in his work are: Light, Line, Texture. Repetition and Shape. These are all presented through the realism of the subject being photographed. Most of the images seem to be macro, which fills the frame of the photograph. However, in some photographs there is a sense of space, which can be used to create a powerful impact towards the events which have occurred. Tone is seen to be one of the key features of Patzsch work as it allows the subject of the photograph be in focus, and detailed.
At this time there where many other photographs who used new objectivity to help capture their photographs. This meant that there was some competition for Patzsch, which would have likely motivated him to be thinking about what he is capturing and what he wants to capture. These photographers include:
Edward Weston
Karl Blossfeldt
Helmar Lerski
And Many More
Not only where other photographs interested and influenced by Neue’s photograph, but also photographers from now a day. There are many photographers out there who are using new objectivity to influence their work. These include:
Martin Parr
Peter Fraser
William Eggleston
And Many More.
These two photographs share a lot of similarities and differences, which are used to help show the uniqueness of Patzsch’s work. The first photograph is of trees with in what seems to be a woodland, which suggests that this image is man-made. The second photograph is of a trowel which seems to be on display for potentially a shop, which implies that it is displayed naturally. Both photographs show the formal element of line through the subject of the photograph. However, the second image uses static composition which makes it pleasant for the viewer to look at and the first photograph uses dynamic composition as the trees are going in different directions. Moreover, this formal element helps to guide the viewers eye around the frame, this is also known as leading lines. Other formal elements which are presented in both images are shape, repetition and texture. Both images are presented in black and white which allows the different tones to clearly be presented, which also allows the subjects to be highly detailed. In the first photograph there is mist/fog which makes an eerie feel towards the image, whereas the second image does not. In the second photograph a large depth of field is used, allowing us to view all the trowels clearly. On the other hand, the first photograph has a narrow depth of field, leaving only the trees in the foreground to be in focus. The lighting which is used in the first photograph seems to be natural lighting which plays on the eerie mood, and also helps to present the idea of new objectivity. Whereas the second photograph seems to use artificial lighting as only some and the tops of the trowels are the bright areas. In the first photograph there is a sense of space which is used to create a sense of 3D. However, the second photograph uses form to present 3D within its image. Both photographs consist of a normal/quick shutter speed as the photographs do not have a motion blur. The ISO of both photographs is low as no noise is presented within the images making them clearer and cleaner. Overall, I really like Patzsch’s photographs as they are ecstatically pleasing and interesting to look at, uses new objectivity to show the context of when the photographs were taken and uses formal elements to make his work more interesting. Conceptually, the two images uses repetition to allow us to look at the common objects in a different way, which helps to add meaning to the overall photographs.
My Response
When capturing my photographs, I attempted to use the idea of the new objectivity. This is were I tried to capture my subject in their naturalist form, however, ensuring it has a distorted effect. I used my DSLR camera to produce these photographs, and ensured I thought about the formal elements which could be shown within the image. I also explored with light a bit more, attempting to get light hitting the right point on the frame.
Moreover, I looked at focusing the camera, choosing the main focus point when capturing the photograph. For these sets of photograph I used a manual focus, allowing to have more control of the depth of field. I also looked at using the rule of thirds in order to make my photographs more interesting to look at.
Overall I feel that this photo shoot was very successful as I managed to achieve many things. The first thing I managed to achieve is using a manual focus allowing me to have control of what is in focus and the depth of field within the image. After having this opportunity of experimenting with manual focus, I am more confident and I am likely to use this technique in future photo shoots. I also have discovered that I enjoy taking macro photographs, as I like showing the detail of my subject.
Martin creed was born in 1968 in Wakefield, England. He went to The Slade School of Art in London for 4 years in the late 80s. He has done a lot of work, and many exhibitions all over the world. Along with being an artist, Creed is also a musician and has a band.
He mostly photographs simple, everyday items in very effective manors so that all his images look aesthetically pleasing. The specific pictures of his that I will be focusing on are the images of paper he has previously taken.
Creed currently lives, and works in London.
