Edward Hartwig (1909–2003)

With this book, Edward Hartwig not only established himself as the heir to the legacy of Jan Bułhak, the founder of fotografika, but most of all proposed his own modernised formula for artistic photography. For Hartwig, it is a formalism that is modern and free of national obligations, and according to which a photograph's visual expression comes before its content. The bold reference to Bułhak's original term fotografika finds an almost literal justification in its relationship to graphics (grafika), as the author introduces various means of applying distinct graphic qualities to his photographs. In other words, if Bułhak softened contrast in his blow-ups, then Hartwig intensifies it. In lieu of the painterly tones of artistic photography (i.e. Bułhak's fotografika), comes the graphic tinge (so, Hartwig's fotografika).… (plus d'informations)