A Note on Grete Stern

I frequently encounter the following kind of coincidence - I hear about something for the first time in my life - be it a person, a concept or an event  - and then, a few hours, or half a day later - I come across the same person or idea in a completely different context.  (I wish someone could explain to me how this happens and what kind of secret lurks behind this phenomenon). This kind of "double incidence" - of not hearing about something my entire life and then twice within hours - occurred to me yesterday with the photographer Grete Stern. (though in this case I have to admit that I had already heard about Stern a few years ago) A couple of hours after (re)discovering her surrealist photo montages in an article about a photography exhibition currently on view in Wolfsburg, Germany, I found out that MOMA will have a show dedicated to her work beginning in May.  

She had a fascinating life: A successful commercial photographer in Germany in the late 20's and early 30's (she photographed many of the rich and famous of Weimar Germany), she was forced to emigrate after Hitler's rise to power and spent most of the rest of her life in Argentinia. In addition to becoming one of the country's leading photographers (in any case, she was the most progressive photographer in the years after her arrival), she was also an activist for Indian rights. 

After viewing many of her photographs, particularly her surrealist photomontages, I decided to undertake a comparison with the equivalent photograms of Man Ray.  (ie those that feature people. As a side note: An exhibition dedicated to Ray opened just yesterday at the Phillips Collection here in Washington, DC).  I find her work to be at the same level as Ray's in terms of both inventiveness and compositional perfection. She definitely deserves greater recognition - it looks like her time as come. 

Also of interest: The following Web site features photo montages of contemporary photographers inspired by Grete Stern - there is some first rate work here!

http://www.nanofotofest.com.ar/2014/07/ultimos-dias-mandanos-tus-suenos/

My Web site: www.marcelgrichter.com

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