Intimacy in Black and White: Anders Petersen
For many photographers it is important to create a deliberately intimate atmosphere in their work involving only the viewer and the character and no one else. There is no photographer, there is no camera – that invisible wall that seems impossible to overcome.
But great masters of photography have the talent to eliminate this perceptual barrier by literally inviting the viewer into the sensations and feelings of the scene. They draw out the innermost, personal both from their models and viewers changing the perception in their work. There are few of them and a Swedish photographer Anders Petersen is deservedly among them.
Anders Petersen was born in Sweden in 1944 but the most significant period of his career he spent in Germany. In 1961 he stayed for a couple of years in Hamburg to learn the language and try himself in writing and painting. He didn’t take any pictures then let alone white-and black.
In Germany he got to know the wild counterculture of night life that was so exciting and so different from tranquility of his life in Sweden. It was then that he met some marginals who were far away from the decent society. As Petersen recalled in his late interviews, it was then that he paradoxically felt respect to those, revolting at first sight, people and was thrilled by them. Anders saw personality in those people, different and special, all with their own personal stories and dramas. However he didn’t have any experience, let alone education to photograph them. By way of chance he received both.
But great masters of photography have the talent to eliminate this perceptual barrier by literally inviting the viewer into the sensations and feelings of the scene. They draw out the innermost, personal both from their models and viewers changing the perception in their work. There are few of them and a Swedish photographer Anders Petersen is deservedly among them.
Anders Petersen was born in Sweden in 1944 but the most significant period of his career he spent in Germany. In 1961 he stayed for a couple of years in Hamburg to learn the language and try himself in writing and painting. He didn’t take any pictures then let alone white-and black.
In Germany he got to know the wild counterculture of night life that was so exciting and so different from tranquility of his life in Sweden. It was then that he met some marginals who were far away from the decent society. As Petersen recalled in his late interviews, it was then that he paradoxically felt respect to those, revolting at first sight, people and was thrilled by them. Anders saw personality in those people, different and special, all with their own personal stories and dramas. However he didn’t have any experience, let alone education to photograph them. By way of chance he received both.
Anders Petersen "Intimacy in Black and White"
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«I really identified myself with these people and their situation, this group who were outside society. I respected them».
There was a picture in the newspaper made by a Swedish street photographer and educator Christer Strömholm, on the picture was a cemetery at night and dark steps in the snow. The magic of this picture stroke a powerful chord in Petersen, so he decided to hastily return to Sweden and make a personal acquaintance with the author of the photograph.
From 1996 to 1967 a great photographer-to-be had been a student at Fotoskolan, the School of Photography founded by Strömholm. Petersen and Strömholm had been not only colleagues but developed a lifelong friendship.
When finishing his studies Anders returned to Hamburg. For three years, since 1967 he had been exploring the counterculture and started capturing night visitors (prostitutes, transvestites, alcoholics, lovers and drug addicts) in a bar called Café Lehmitz in Hamburg.
The photos were published in a book in 1978 by Schirmer/Mosel publishing house in Germany. Since then Café Lehmitz is a fundamental book in history of European photography.
From 1996 to 1967 a great photographer-to-be had been a student at Fotoskolan, the School of Photography founded by Strömholm. Petersen and Strömholm had been not only colleagues but developed a lifelong friendship.
When finishing his studies Anders returned to Hamburg. For three years, since 1967 he had been exploring the counterculture and started capturing night visitors (prostitutes, transvestites, alcoholics, lovers and drug addicts) in a bar called Café Lehmitz in Hamburg.
The photos were published in a book in 1978 by Schirmer/Mosel publishing house in Germany. Since then Café Lehmitz is a fundamental book in history of European photography.
In 1970 Anders Petersen had his first solo exhibition over the bar in Café Lehmitz with 350 photographs just nailed to the walls. At the same time he becomes a co-founder of Stockholm based photo agency Saftra Reportage Fotografi and starts his teaching career in Christer Strömholm’s School of Photography of which he was a graduate himself.
He began to shoot for magazines but he never gave up his own diary of black-and-white documentary projects.
He created several outstanding photo series from various locked institutions. Every time Petersen did not just photographed people, he strove literally to be part of them, to live their lives, to be in the same conditions with his models. This all also helps to destroy the invisible wall created by the camera lens.
He began to shoot for magazines but he never gave up his own diary of black-and-white documentary projects.
He created several outstanding photo series from various locked institutions. Every time Petersen did not just photographed people, he strove literally to be part of them, to live their lives, to be in the same conditions with his models. This all also helps to destroy the invisible wall created by the camera lens.
«I’m interested in being very close. I want my pictures to ask questions».
To make images for his book Fangelse published in 1984, he practically lived in prison. Later Petersen capture in his unique super personal and intimate style people from a mental hospital and people living out their last days in a nursing home.
Anders Petersen makes us look at, often confusingly close, people and situations that most of us try to avoid at all costs. Nevertheless, his pictures reveal tenderness, beauty and humanity.
Anders Petersen makes us look at, often confusingly close, people and situations that most of us try to avoid at all costs. Nevertheless, his pictures reveal tenderness, beauty and humanity.
Many people who knew Anders Petersen describe him as a happy Zen monk with a small camera and the spark in his eyes. And this is a very accurate description.
It is almost impossible to separate this incredibly inspired man from his photographs. He always carries his small Contax T3 with him and photographs beauty he sees in people, most often in the most unexpected places. He is still keeping his personal and very fascinating black-and-white diary using his camera and showing to the viewers the inner beauty of all the people despite their appearance and social status.
It is almost impossible to separate this incredibly inspired man from his photographs. He always carries his small Contax T3 with him and photographs beauty he sees in people, most often in the most unexpected places. He is still keeping his personal and very fascinating black-and-white diary using his camera and showing to the viewers the inner beauty of all the people despite their appearance and social status.