August Sander Photography Collection: Beyond the Portrait

This is an exhibition catalog for August Sander, a photographer who represents 20th-century German photography.

Published in 1994 to accompany the exhibition "Beyond the Portrait" held at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, this book features a selection of works from Sander's monumental lifelong project, "Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century)."

Farmers, laborers, craftsmen, artists, intellectuals—Sander's portrait photographs, which classified and photographed people constituting German society at the time by occupation and social class, transcend mere portraits. They are highly regarded as an attempt to document the era itself.

With their frontal compositions, simple backgrounds, and restrained gazes, these quiet photographs not only reveal the existence of individuals but also illuminate social structures and the atmosphere of the era.

In addition to his representative works, this book also includes documentary photographs such as Sander's studio and darkroom scenes. The planning and composition were handled by his son and fellow photographer, Gerd Sander. Together with the Japanese text, the content allows for a multifaceted exploration of Sander's work.

This is an important book not only for post-war German photography but also as a source for typology photography, documentary photography, and contemporary portraiture.

[Title] August Sander Photo Book: Beyond the Portrait
[Publisher] Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Ars Nicolai Verlag (Berlin)
[Publication Date] 1994
[Pages] 272 pages
[Size] Approx. 215×285×22mm / 1,310g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] AUGUST SANDER SHASHINSHU SHOZO NO KANATA
[Author/Editor, etc.] Gerd Sander / Planning and Composition, Barbara Gebler / Editing, Chihiro Shigeyama (Aisum Design) / Design
[Printing] H. Höhnemann (Berlin) / Printing, Lüderitz & Bauer (Berlin) / Binding
[ISBN] 490039825X
[Condition] Used [4] Fair to Fair-minus (Book: cover scuffed/slightly wrinkled, spine wrinkled, light stains on endpapers and top edge)
[Accessories] None
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] "August Sander Photo Book: Beyond the Portrait" (Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, 1994)

August SANDER (1876-1964)

Born in Herdorf, Germany, in 1876. Photographer.

Known as a leading figure in 20th-century German photography, he dedicated his life to the creation of "Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century)." He photographed people constituting society at the time, such as farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, artists, and intellectuals, categorized by occupation and social class, constructing a massive "portrait of society."

His objective and serene photographs not only documented the atmosphere of Weimar-era Germany but also significantly influenced later documentary and typological photography.

Despite experiencing the loss of his work during World War II and oppression under the Nazi regime, he continued his creative work. He is now internationally recognized as one of the most important artists in the history of 20th-century photography.

< Related Figures >
Bernd & Hilla Becher, Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, Irving Penn, Walker Evans, Thomas Ruff, Rineke Dijkstra, Weimar Photography, Neue Sachlichkeit

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