André Kertész (1894–1985)

A powerful collection of the luminous last work by one of the true giants of twentieth-century photography.
After the death of his wife, André Kertész consoled himself by taking up a new camera, the Polaroid SX70. As with earlier equipment, he mastered the camera and produced a provocative body of work that both honored his wife and lifted him out of depression.

Here Kertész dips into his reserves one last time, tapping new people, ideas, and tools to generate a whole new body of work show more through which he transforms from a broken man into a youthful artist. Taken in his apartment just north of New York City’s Washington Square, many of these photographs were shot either from his window or in the windowsill. We see a fertile mind at work, combining personal objects into striking still lifes set against cityscape backgrounds, reflected and transformed in glass surfaces. Almost entirely unpublished work, these photographs are a testament to the genius of the photographer’s eye as manifested in the simple Polaroid. Duotone photographs throughout show less

André Kertész (1894-1985) was one of the most inventive, influential, and prolific photographers in the medium's history.

His combination of Modernist vision and poetic wit defined a vocabulary that generations of photographers have continued to use. Kertész's iconic images of 1920s Paris, such as "Chez Mondrian" and "Satiric Dancer" and his later images from New York "Melancholic Tulip," "Washington Square" have seeped into contemporary culture, and yet Kertész maintained that the real show more roots of his work were in Hungary. This book, the first completely dedicated to Kertész's early Hungarian prints, offers a unique window on the origins of genius. Ninety images, selected from more than 1,000 contact prints in the artist's estate, are meticulously reproduced to actual size, revealing the explosive cultural context of early twentieth-century Hungary. A treasured addition to any photography library, André Kertész: The Early Years is a rare opportunity to witness the beginnings of a great artist. 90 duotone photographs show less

A small collection of black and white photographs around the theme of reading, spanning many years and many places. From little children balancing books on their knees to women soaking up the sun on their roofs and balconies, from students spread out on the grass to monks at prayer, from backstage actors taking five to old men perusing the newspapers on the pavement - all kinds of reading, in different places and at different ages, are represented and celebrated.

However, for me there just show more wasn't enough of the romance: too many pictures of people on city roofs and pavements, and not enough in parks or beautiful libraries. Not only that, but the collection didn't seem to capture the tail end of the time span these photos were taken in, so I was trying to feel nostalgically stirred by photos of everyday situations in decades and places I know very little about. It's still a nice collection, especially for older generations, but maybe it's time someone stepped up and continued Kertész's theme into the future - reading on the Tube, modern students, electronic gadgets and Harry Potter-wielding children... show less

A collection of photographs taken by Hungarian photographer, Andre Kertesz, depicts people all over the world, reading. Somehow the photographer was able to repeatedly capture the intense absorption one experiences when reading, particularly something really, really fascinating. There are photos of all ages, genders, & walks of life, yet the feeling evoked is universal to readers! Absolutely wonderful!