Photographer Michael Ebert and Henner Merle curated an exhibition at the ZFF Zentrum für Fotographie displaying photographs from the photographer and interpreter Pierre Gassmann. This exhibition was the first time Gassmann’s works have been introduced to the public in such a manner.

The photographer and interpreter who was born in 1913 in Breslau emigrated from Berlin to Paris in 1933 where he joined the resistance. After the war he worked as a Photojournalist and printer. In 1950 he started his own photography laboratory called “Picto” and aided in the developing of the work of legends such as Kertész, Doisneau, Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Man Ray and many others in his darkroom. Gassmann became known for his sensitive photo print technique. The negative was for him like a musical score that one must “know how to play” according to him. Gassmann achieved surprising results with his bold cuts, finishing and especially his enlargement techniques.

The photography which was shown at the exhibition encompassed Gassmann’s take on Paris from the 1930’s and 40’s, war devastated Germany and the post war era, Israel in the late 1940’s and experimental photography from the 1990’s as photographer, developer and interpreter of photos from Man Ray, Martin Munkacsi, Boubat and Marcel Duchamps. The originals and detailed panes were exhibited side by side.

www.berliner-zeitung.de

Wikipedia: Pierre Gassmann