Werner Bischof was born in 1916 and grew up in a financially comfortable family in Waldshut, Germany. There, Werner learned from his father how to make photograms; specifically by placing lace and other fine objects on photographic paper, which was then exposed. In 1933, Werner began studying photography at the Zurich School of Applied Arts. By 1936, Bischof opened a studio as a graphic artist and photographer.
What I like about Werner Bischof is the painstakingly large efforts he endured to achieve a satisfying photograph in his perfectionist eyes. For example, for one photograph, Bischof spent countless hours cutting, sanding, and polishing snail shells to achieve the translucent effect he wanted for a nature study. In 1951, Bischof arrived in Korea to cover the evacuation of a village. At a time where racism blinded many, Bischof saw Asian children equal to their European peers. From Peru to Japan, from war and famine, to simple spirit and traditional culture, Werner strived to portray the beauty of the human condition from an empathic viewpoint. How Bischof lived his life is how I dream to one day live mine.
The expressions in a lot of his subjects really make the image for me. The environments all of these images are shot in pull together the subject very well.
ReplyDeleteI love these images! Pictures from foreign lands are always captivating, but I feel like these images relay a sort of sentimentality that everyone can understand. His compositions are really solid, too. Thanks for sharing!
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