Photographers A-Z (Bibliotheca Universalis)

There’s no question — photography is the medium of our age. Despite all the competition from various (especially flickering) media — the «great still» (Norbert Bolz) remains in first place. Not only when it’s a matter of the visual arts. On the market as well — in galleries and auction houses — the «fine art print» is well established, with photographic prints being seen as works of art and thus as investments. If you are going to talk, argue, negotiate about photography, you need sound data and facts — not least on the artists behind the works. Information that is succinct and authoritative, clear and factual forms the basis of this new book. Yet the title quite intentionally bridges two worlds, for the book is both a lexicon and a volume of prints, a useful reference book and a feast for the eyes. The aim is to provide those interested in photography with reliable information in a convenient form that they can also browse, rummage through, «surf» freely, a book that will surprise and inspire.
It’s clear structure, alphabetical order, and fact-rich entries relate to the idea of an encyclopedia. But completeness, however defined — something in any case unattainable — was never the intention. The book’s strength lies in its precise selection, in its restriction to a sort of pantheon. Thus the photographers to be found in these pages are those whose contribution to the culture of the photographic image is beyond question, whose work is internationally recognized, presented and discussed — even if controversial. Those included are mostly photographers from Europe and the United States. African and Latin American photographers are alsoprominently represented, as are those from Japan, whose photo scene is gaining international respect. Taken together, this selection provides a history of photography in the 20’th century through succinct biographies of artists whose works reflect an eventful century.