Sander captures German social turmoil
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 2, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 The Getty "August Sander: German Portraits, 1918-1933"
takes a close look at the artist’s work during the post-WWI turmoil
of the Weimar Republic in Germany.
By Anthony Quinonez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Photographer August Sander believed so highly in the power of
pictures that he sought to capture the character of an entire
nation through his work.
Currently on display at the Getty, “August Sander: German
Portraits, 1918-1933″ takes a look at the works of the famous
portraitist during the Weimar Republic, a transitional time in
Germany.
Unable to enjoy their newfound independence because of the
economic devastation that followed World War I, politicians and
artists struggled to redefine German society which hungered for
change yet longed for the past.
Sander’s work is reflective of this turmoil. Although he
began his career as a run-of-the-mill studio portraitist, his
introduction to the Cologne Progressives, a group of young leftist
painters, influenced him greatly. Debates and discussions with the
group encouraged many of the ideas that would fuel his future
endeavors in Germany.
According to the exhibit, Sander embarked on a grand project
known as “Citizens of the Twentieth Century.” This
collection of 500 photographs was to serve as a “collective
portrait” of Germany. Sander divided this collection into
seven parts, each part representing a facet of German society.
One section of the exhibit, titled “The First and the
Last,” gives viewers an introduction to Sander’s
methodology. Contained in this section are photographs of farmers
and village dwellers, whom Sander considered the first aspect of
German society. He felt they were not only tied to the land, but
also a representation of traditions that were being destroyed by
increasing urbanization.
The black and white photograph, “Shepherd” is
therefore a fitting way to begin an exhibit on Sander. The man in
this portrait has seen many a season in the sun, evidenced by his
dark skin color and haggard face. His plain clothes and hat invoke
times past and a worldliness that is lost in modern society.
Sander intended for his seven divisions of the German people to
be cyclical. For this reason in the “First and the
Last” section, farmers and village people are grouped with
the unemployed, beggars and physically disabled ““ the
outcasts of German society at the time.
Intended to be an introduction to his “Citizens of the
Twentieth Century” project, Sander published the book
“Antlitz der Zeit (Face of the Time);” the 1929 cover
is featured in the exhibit. The book consists of a collection of 60
portraits that attempt to show Germany’s development into a
modernized nation.
The last photograph of “Antlitz der Zeit,” on
display in “The First and the Last,” titled “The
Last Man,” parallels the “Shepherd” portrait in a
few ways.
Both men are depicted as humble individuals who had a little too
much exposure to the elements, yet what Sander is really trying to
express is that they are both disenfranchised, cast out by the
evolving industrial economy.
The Sander exhibit at the Getty devotes a whole section to
photographs of women, although these pictures were not grouped
separately in Sander’s original “Citizens of the
Twentieth Century” archive. Nevertheless, Sander’s
moving photographs show German women from all walks of life, from
the more traditional roles of mothers, wives and daughters; to
working women, those on the fringes of society, and the women of
the circus.
The photograph “Female Bricklayers, Austria” shows
two women far from pastoral life. Adorned with smocks and scarves,
at first glance they look like they could simply be domestic
workers. A closer look reveals dried cement on their legs and carts
nearby filled with brick, implying they are actually manual
laborers.
“Wife of the Cologne Painter Peter Abelen” is
likewise a deceiving photograph, depicting an androgynous person in
a dress shirt and tie, with baggy pants and flat shoes; it is not
until viewers read the title that they can be sure of the
subject’s gender.
Sander believed in the ideas of the ancient pseudo-science of
physiognomy, which states that a person’s physical
characteristics determine their social standing, and he used these
ideas when grouping his photographs. However, by not strictly
adhering to Sander’s seven divisions of German citizens, the
subjects of his photos actually become even more human ““
individuals rather than examples of “types” of people,
as Sander intended.
“August Sander: German Portraits 1918-1933″ is an
exhibit that conveys the power of photography. In addition to
discovering the portraits of people during an interesting time,
viewers will be able to understand photographers’ influence
on their subjects and work.
ART: “August Sander: German Portraits
1918-1933″ is on display at the Getty through June 24.
Parking is $5 and students do not need reservations. For further
information call (310) 440-7300.
