Early in the afternoon

Am frühen Nachmittag

Photo/Text #57

CR 191. Year 1976

Am Frühen Nachmittag Photo T57 Jochen Gerz Cr 191 Web

Early in the afternoon he wanted to go back there once more; a little light had come through since that morning, despite the fog it would probably be enough to take a few pictures. In any case, the ...

“And whatever he photographed would come out on the pictures as something far away, or not there at all”. Does Gerz express his criticism of photography here for once without playing hiding and seek? Are the photos described in “plain language” for a change? It would almost seem that way – until one notices that in this case the “distance” between viewer and object was not introduced by the act of photography but must have existed independently of it – because these are scenes shot in the fog.

Ulrich Keller 1979. Translated by e_CR editors

Was er auch fotografiere, es sei in den Abbildungen doch nur vorhanden als etwas Entferntes oder ganz Abwesendes… Gibt Gerz hier seiner Kritik an der Fotografie einmal ohne Versteckspiel Ausdruck? Sind die Fotos ausnahmsweise in "Klartext" beschrieben? Fast scheint es so - bis man bemerkt, daß in diesem Fall die "Distanz" zwischen Betrachter und Gegenstand nicht erst durch den Akt des Fotografierens eingeführt worden ist, sondern davon unabhängig existiert haben muß - es handelt sich ja um Nebelszenen.

Ulrich Keller 1979

Categories

Photo/Text

6 framed b+w photographs, 1 framed text (typed on paper), each 13,5 x 18,5 cm, total 42,1 x 64,3 cm, non-exhibited left-right reversed manuscript (ink on paper), stamped: gelebt/nicht gelebt, signed and dated leftright reversed: Jochen Gerz 9/1/76

In addition to the German original an English translation has been authorized.

Collection François et Ninon Robelin, Paris.
Musée d'Art Moderne de Saint-Étienne.

Exhibitions

Roma 1977. Hannover 1978

Bibliography

I: Lichtenberg 1976, pp. 134-137. Hannover 1978, pp. 44-47.

Access general bibliography

My name is Jochen Gerz