Tuesday, May 30, 2017

The Intimate World of Josef Sudek


My review of "The Intimate World of Joseph Sudek" at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa from October 28, 2016 to February 26, 2017 is on newsstands this summer, appearing in issue 142 of Border Crossings. The exhibition offered a retrospective introduction to the entirety of Josef Sudek’s career: from his early photographs that are marked by the Romantic Pictorialism that was conventional at the beginning of the 20th century, to his later, more experimental and idiosyncratic works that he produced up until his death in 1976. The exhibition was divided thematically into nine sections and these, placed in a roughly chronological order, underscored Sudek’s individualistic pursuit of his artistic vision. An early photo (Veteran’s Home, c. 1922-1927) featuring a disabled war veteran absorbed in the contemplation of a bottle he is holding could act as a metonym for Sudek’s career: He cast himself as an outsider whose singular focus revealed worlds within worlds.

For the complete review, check out Border Crossings 142, available at the finest bookstores, newsstands, and libraries near you.

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