George Hoyningen-Huene (1900–1968), Richard Avedon (1923–2004), and Irving Penn (1917–2009)—each of these photographers is an unsurpassed highlight of American photographic history in their own right.

The cool objectivity of their works is constituted by their extremely high graphic quality. The subtle use of lines is a significant feature shared by the works of these three icons, but is defined very differently depending on each photographer’s individual style.

The refined play with lines that carefully separate elements of the picture from one another, combine them, or appear as independent, overarching symbols functions not only as a common creative element; the line becomes a visual mediator within the photographic transfer from three dimensions to two. Particularly in this regard, these photographers show a connection to the work of Peter Keetman, who as a member of the fotoform group turned away from conventional postwar photography and toward the »formed individual picture.«

Portraits of prominent personalities will be shown as well as unusual fashion photographs, nudes, and images of bodies − all part of the F.C. Gundlach Collection. The uniqueness of the F.C. Gundlach Collection with the permanent loan under the title »The Human Image in Photography« within the European context is clearly emphasized by the selection and combination of these highlights. The Concept of Lines will showcase this important permanent loan at the House of Photography on the occasion of F.C. Gundlach’s 90th birthday as a major highlight in honor of F.C. Gundlach as a collector, curator, and founder of the House of Photography. The show will be curated by Sabine Schnakenberg, curator of the collection at the House of Photography

House of Photography

Deichtorstraße 1-2
20095 Hamburg

November 17, 2016 – February 14, 2017

www.deichtorhallen.de