[gofour3]

For you lovers of Kodachrome and street scenes, he is one of the best!

Born in Germany, Fred Herzog came to Vancouver in 1953. Since that time, he has produced a substantial body of photographs, taking urban life in Vancouver -second-hand shops, vacant lots, neon signage and the crowds of people who have populated the city's streets over the past fifty years-as his primary subject. Herzog has self-consciously drawn upon documentary traditions in photography while incorporating something of an outsider's idiosyncratic sensitivity to a new environment into his work. Within his images, bodily gesture, the detritus of consumer culture and the architecture of the street take on a heightened resonance, as the impact of modernity becomes visible in the everyday life of the city.

Much of Herzog's work was produced on Kodachrome, a colour slide film that was difficult to work with in a spontaneous fashion. Herzog's use of colour was unusual in the 1950s and 60s, a time when art photography was almost exclusively associated with black and white imagery. In this respect, his photographs can be seen as a pre-figuration of the "New Colour" of photographers such as Stephen Shore and William Eggleston, which received widespread acclaim in the 1970s, and the work of contemporary Vancouver photographers such as Roy Arden, Arni Haraldsson, Karin Bubas and Christos Dikeakos.

Herzog has been active in Vancouver's art scene for more than forty years, while working as a medical photographer from 1957 to 1990. During that time he participated in group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery and UBC Fine Arts Gallery (now the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery). This exhibition is the first to examine Herzog's overall body of work and will be accompanied by a fully illustrated book co-published by Douglas & McIntyre.

A current exhibit at a Vancouver gallery:


Equinox Gallery Vancouver - Works by Fred Herzog

[Ole]

Thanks for sharing!

[gofour3]

If anyone is going to be in Vancouver from now until March 17th, 2012 this new Fred Herzog display is well worth checking out. If you ever shot Kodachrome you will appreciate it even more.

Equinox Gallery Vancouver - Gallery2

Phil.

[gofour3]

Sad news Fred Herzog passed away earlier this week:

Noted Vancouver photographer Fred Herzog dies at age 88 | Vancouver Sun

His local street photography of Vancouver in the 50's & 60's, using a Leica & shooting Kodachrome, are second to none. (He also used a P67 for his work at UBC)

Another link showing more of his work:

Fred Herzog work

Phil.

[c.a.m]

@gofour3,

As sad as it is, thanks for passing along this news.

I have admired Herzog's work, and regularly browse through his book Modern Color, which happens to be sitting on my desk at the moment.

- Craig

[stevebrot]

Sad news Fred Herzog passed away earlier this week:

Yes...sad news. He was an icon.


Steve

[RGlasel]

Another link showing more of his work:

Great stuff, going through this gallery was time well spent. I find it interesting that Herzog supported himself and his photography habit by working as a medical photographer and he didn't become a recognized artist until he was in his seventies, even though most of his exhibited work is from when he was in his late twenties and thirties. I think it would be even more impressive to view his photographs with a slide projector, it would certainly provide a sronger sense of the time period when the photographs were taken.

[gofour3]

Great stuff, going through this gallery was time well spent. I find it interesting that Herzog supported himself and his photography habit by working as a medical photographer and he didn't become a recognized artist until he was in his seventies, even though most of his exhibited work is from when he was in his late twenties and thirties. I think it would be even more impressive to view his photographs with a slide projector, it would certainly provide a sronger sense of the time period when the photographs were taken.

Yep I agree with the slide show.

I just came back from Iceland and went to the photography museum in Reykjavik. The museum featured a local photographer with the usual prints on the wall and a paper guide.

In addition they setup a light table with some 120 positives you could view with a photo lupe, as well as a room with a slide show of the photographers work. That was the best part of the exhibit for me.

Phil.

[c.a.m]

Herzog's passing is noted in a tribute at The Online Photographer:

The Online Photographer: Fred Herzog 1930-2019

- Craig