Keld Helmer-Petersen
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Keld Helmer-Petersen (23 August 1920 – 6 March 2013) was a Danish photographer who achieved widespread international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s for his abstract colour photographs.


Early years

Helmer-Petersen was born and grew up in the Østerbro quarter of Copenhagen. He started taking photographs in 1938, when he received a Leica camera as a graduation present. At an early stage, he became aware of the trends in international photography; in the 1940s he subscribed to the US Camera Annual and in this period became familiar with German inter-war photography, which had developed at the
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
and in the
Neue Sachlichkeit The New Objectivity (in german: Neue Sachlichkeit) was a movement in German art that arose during the 1920s as a reaction against expressionism. The term was coined by Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub, the director of the ''Kunsthalle'' in Mannheim, who ...
(The New Objectivity) movement. The international prospect and an interest in contemporary art and architecture contributed to the fact that at the age of 23, Helmer-Petersen, as one of the first Danish photographers, began to work with an abstract formal language. Inspired by the Bauhaus and
Albert Renger-Patzsch Albert Renger-Patzsch (June 22, 1897 – September 27, 1966) was a German photographer associated with the New Objectivity. Biography Renger-Patzsch was born in Würzburg and began making photographs by age twelve. After military service in the F ...
, he published in 1948, the bilingual book ''122 Farvefotografier/122 Colour Photographs''. This was an audacious début by an autodidactic photographer who wanted to assert the position of photography as an independent art form. Today, the book is considered to be a pioneering work in the area of colour photography.Rick Poynor,
Keld Helmer-Petersen: Pioneer of Color
.
Design Observer Design Observer is a website devoted to a range of design topics including graphic design, social innovation, urbanism, popular culture, and criticism. The content of the site includes essays, articles, reviews, blog posts, and peer reviewed scho ...
. Accessed 9 March 2018.


Career

The pioneering effort with ''122 Colour Photographs'' brought Helmer-Petersen a grant from the Denmark–America Foundation to study at the Institute of Design in Chicago (founded by
László Moholy-Nagy László Moholy-Nagy (; ; born László Weisz; July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the i ...
in 1937 under the name New Bauhaus). During his stay at the school, he both taught and studied under (among others) the American photographer Harry Callahan. Helmer-Petersen began to experiment with the contrast in graphic black and white expression influenced by constructivist artists and their fascination with industry’s machines and architecture’s constructions. A selection of the photographs that Helmer-Petersen created in Chicago was published in the little book ''Fragments of a City'' (1960). This offers a portrait of the city in thirty-five tightly composed graphic images and is a radical example of Helmer-Petersen’s graphic and formal experimentation. Helmer-Petersen’s approach to photography was by and large experimental and explorative. Again and again, he worked on the borders of what we normally consider to be photography. Among other things, throughout his career he worked with “cameraless” photography, the
photogram A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The usual result is a negative shadow image th ...
(a darkroom technique in which objects are placed directly on light-sensitive photographic paper). His curiosity about pushing the limits of the media was expressed in several experimental short films, including ''Copenhagen Boogie'' from 1949. From the 1970s, Helmer-Petersen was preoccupied with the figurative potential in found objects. Like
Irving Penn Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at ''Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clients including Is ...
(and at the same time), Helmer-Petersen walked sidewalks, head down, making discoveries among the windswept and downtrodden street refuse. This resulted in works such as the series ''Deformationer''.Thrane, Finn: “Keld Helmer-Petersen” in ''Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon'' (Weilbach's Danish lexicon of artists). From 1974 to 1993, he created a large series of close-up abstract colour photographs of walls, timber stacks, etc. A selection of these was published in the book ''Danish Beauty'', in 2004. In the early 2000s, Helmer-Petersen was rediscovered when ''122 Colour Photographs'' was presented in volume one of
Martin Parr Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in p ...
and
Gerry Badger Gerald David "Gerry" Badger (born 1946) is an English writer and curator of photography, and a photographer. In 2018 he received the J Dudley Johnston Award from the Royal Photographic Society. Life and career Badger was born in 1946 in Northam ...
’s three-volume survey of the most notable photobooks: ''The Photobook: A History.'' In the wake of this rediscovery, there followed several exhibitions and a renewed international interest in his work. In 2007, Helmer-Petersen published an extensive retrospective monograph, which presents a broad sample of work from his lengthy career. In his last works, Helmer-Petersen experimented with the potential of digital technology. In so doing, he returned to the black and white graphic expression that he had cultivated in the 1950s and 1960s. From 2008 up until his death, he placed a variety of old negatives and found objects; refuse, insects, wires, etc., on a flatbed scanner in order to treat them digitally (with the help of the photographer Jens Frederiksen). This process resulted in the experimental trilogy: ''Black Noise'' (2010), ''Back to Black'' (2011) and the posthumously published ''Black Light'' (2014).


The architect's photographer

Architecture and design played a great role in Helmer-Petersen’s work, both professionally and as an artistic field of interest. From 1952 to 1956, he worked with photographer Erik Hansen, after which he established his own studio specializing in architecture and design photography, in 1956. In the decades that followed, he worked as a photographer for his generation of architects and designers, including
Finn Juhl Finn Juhl (30 January 1912 – 17 May 1989) was a Danish architect, interior and industrial designer, most known for his furniture design. He was one of the leading figures in the creation of Danish design in the 1940s and he was the designer ...
, Jørgen Bo,
Jørn Utzon Jørn Oberg Utzon, , Hon. FAIA (; 9 April 191829 November 2008) was a Danish architect. He was most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia, completed in 1973. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzo ...
and
Poul Kjærholm Poul Kjærholm (1929 – 1980) was a Danish designer. Born in Østervrå, Denmark, Kjærholm began his career as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, attending the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen in 1952. I ...
. With the latter, Helmer-Petersen developed a close, long-standing collaboration. He photographed all of Kjærholm’s furniture and together they created the exhibition ''Strukturer,'' which was shown in Ole Palsby’s showroom in 1965. In addition, Kjærholm designed Helmer-Petersen’s first solo exhibition: ''Experiment + Documentation'' in 1954, at Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. From 1964 to 1990, Helmer-Petersen was also a senior lecturer at the Royal Academy’s School of Architecture, Institute of Visual Communication. He also served as guest teacher at Den Grafiske Højskole (1960–1963), he was periodically employed at the Skolen for Brugskunst. as well as the Konstvetenskapliga Institut at
Lund University , motto = Ad utrumque , mottoeng = Prepared for both , established = , type = Public research university , budget = SEK 9 billion


Travels

International travel and the exploration of foreign cultures played a central role in Helmer-Petersen's life. His travels also offered a source of inspiration for his work. During a stay in the USA in 1950/1951 he travelled around the country as a photographer for ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
'' magazine. In 1957, he made a round–the–world journey that took him through the USA, Mexico, Japan, China, as well as India, and in 1975 he made a longer trip to Iran. In 1980, he was again in the USA. In addition, he made a great number of shorter trips in Europe.


Personal life

Helmer-Petersen was the son of department head (later counsellor of legation) Kai Helmer-Petersen and Estred Charlotte Andersen. He was married to the television/theatre director Birthe Adelsteen Dalsgaard. Together they had two sons, Jan and Finn. Today, Jan Helmer-Petersen manages and promotes Helmer-Petersen’s work after his death. Helmer-Petersen’s archives were donated to the
Royal Danish Library The Royal Library ( da, Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries ...
, which has digitized and provided public access to a major part of his negatives and transparencies. Helmer-Petersen is buried at
Garrison Cemetery, Copenhagen Garrison Cemetery (Danish: Garnisons Kirkegård) is a cemetery in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was inaugurated in 1671 on a site just outside the Eastern City Gate, as a military cemetery complementing the naval Holmens Cemetery which had been inaugura ...
.


Publications

*''122 Farvefotografier/122 Colour Photographs'', Copenhagen: Det Schønbergske Forlag, 1948. *''Colour Before the Camera'', London: Fountain, 1952. *''Fragments of the City'', Copenhagen: Hans Reitzel, 1960. *''Frameworks, Photographs 1950–1990'', Copenhagen: Hans Reitzel, 1993. . *''Danish Beauty'', Copenhagen: Edition Bløndal, 2004. *''Keld Helmer-Petersen: Photographs 1941–1995'', Copenhagen: Christian Ejlers Publishers, 2007. . *''Black Noise'', London: Rocket Gallery, 2010. *''Back to Black'', London: Rocket Gallery, 2011. *''122 Colour Photographs'', New York, Errata Editions (Books on Books 14), 2012. . *''Black Light'', London: Rocket Gallery, 2014. *''Keld Helmer-Petersen, Photographs 1941-2013'', Copenhagen, Strandberg Publishing, 2019, .


Short films

*''Copenhagen Boogie'' (b/w experimental film), Copenhagen 1949. *''Chicago Motion Light Study'' (b/w experimental film), Chicago 1950. *''Designer + Industrial Society'' (b/w documentary film with Jiri Kolaja), Chicago 1951. *''Rødt og Hvidt (Red and White)'' (promotion film in colour), Copenhagen 1968. *''Falling Water''(experimental film in colour), Copenhagen 1971.


Awards

* 1981: Thorvald Bindesbøll Medaljen * 1996: Nationalbankens Jubilæumsfonds Hæderslegat * 2005:
Fogtdal Photographers Award The Fogtdal Photographers Awards (Danish: Fogtdals Fotografpriser) is the largest awards programme dedicated specifically to Danish photography. It was established in 2004 by Danish publisher Palle Fogtdal. The awards programme consists of an Hono ...
, Denmark * 2011: Forening for Boghåndværks Hæderspris


Exhibitions

* 1953–1954: ''Post-War European Photography'',
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, New YorkK. Helmer-Petersen
.
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
. Accessed 11 March 2018.
* 1954–1955: ''Subjektive Fotografie II'', Institution, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany * 1954: ''Experiment + Documentation'',
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...
, Copenhagen * 1958–1959: ''Photographs from the Museum Collection,'' Museum of Modern Art, New York * 1965: ''Strukturer'', Ole Palsby, Copenhagen * 1990: ''Fotografier af Keld Helmer-Petersen'', Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark * 2004: ''Retrospektivt'' (Retrospective), Fotografisk Center, Copenhagen * 2005: ''De tidlige år'' (The Early Years), Fotografisk Center, Copenhagen * 2005:
Rencontres d'Arles The Rencontres d’Arles (formerly called ''Rencontres internationales de la photographie d’Arles'') is an annual summer photography festival founded in 1970 by the Arles photographer Lucien Clergue, the writer Michel Tournier and the historia ...
(group show), Arles, France * 2005–2006: ''Keld Helmer-Petersen'', Rocket Gallery, London * 2007–2008: ''Winter Graphics/Photographs,'' Rocket Gallery, London * 2009: ''Keld Helmer-Petersen'', Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen * 2012: ''Back to Black,'' Rocket Gallery, London * 2014–2015: ''Augen Auf! – 100 Jahre Leica Fotografie'' (group show),
Deichtorhallen The Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, Germany, is one of Europe's largest art centers for contemporary art and photography. The two historical buildings dating from 1911 to 1913 are iconic in style, with their open steel-and-glass structures. Their archi ...
, Hamburg, Germany * 2014: ''Keld Helmer-Petersen'', Yossi Milo Gallery, New York * 2014: ''Un autre monde'', Danish House in Paris, Paris * 2015: ''Keld Helmer-Petersen, Photography and the Photobook,'' The Library,
Aarhus School of Architecture The Aarhus School of Architecture (Arkitektskolen Aarhus) was founded in 1965 in Aarhus, Denmark. Along with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen, it is responsible for the education of architects in Denmar ...
, Aarhus, Copenhagen. Part of Photobook Week Aarhus 2015.Keld Helmer-Petersen, Photography and the Photobook
.
Aarhus School of Architecture The Aarhus School of Architecture (Arkitektskolen Aarhus) was founded in 1965 in Aarhus, Denmark. Along with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen, it is responsible for the education of architects in Denmar ...
. Accessed 11 March 2018.
* 2019-2020: ''Finding Beauty'', The National Museum of Photography, The Royal Library, Copenhagen


Bibliography

* Jonge, Ingrid Fischer: “Introduction” in Frameworks, ''Photographs 1950–1990'', Hans Reitzel, Copenhagen, 1993. * Koetzle, Hans-Michael: ''Augen Auf! 100 Jahre Leica Fotografie'', Kehrer, Heidelberg, 2014. * Koetzle, Hans-Michael: ''Photographers A–Z'', Taschen, Cologne, 2011. * Parr, Martin and Gerry Badger: ''The Photobook: A History, vol. I'', Phaidon, London, 2004. * Poulsen, Tage: ”Mennesker og Mønstre” with Sandbye, Mette (ed.): ''Dansk Fotografihistorie'', Gyldendal, København, 2004. * Sandbye, Mette: “Colour Cool” in ''122 Colour Photographs'', (Books on Books 14), Errata Editions, New York, 2012.


Collections

Helmer-Petersen's work is held in the following permanent public collection: *
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, New York: 1 printKeld Helmer-Petersen: Danish, 1920–2013
.
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
. Accessed 11 March 2018.


See also

*
Photography in Denmark In Denmark, photography has developed from strong participation and interest in the very history of photography, beginnings of the art in 1839 to the success of a considerable number of Danes in the world of photography today. Pioneers Mads Alst ...
*
History of photography The history of photography began in remote antiquity with the discovery of two critical principles: camera obscura image projection and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or de ...


References


External links

*
Digital collection of negatives and transparenciesDigital collection af architectural photographiesPortrait, clip from the film Fotografi
(video)
Copenhagen Boogie, 1949
(video)
Interview with Swedish National Television
(video) {{DEFAULTSORT:Helmer-Petersen, Keld 1920 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Danish photographers Danish photographers Pioneers of photography Academic staff of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Recipients of the Thorvald Bindesbøll Medal