August Sander
Updated: Jun 10, 2021
“Let me speak the truth in all honesty about our age!” -
Throughout the research into 20th-century German photographer August Sander, I have found a resemblance between my work and his own style of portrait photography. The full-body portrait images of people in their industries during the 1930’s document a world of the working class through his collection of individuals in their environment.
The vast amount of archives that were taken over Sander's life totalled over 40,000 negatives. These were destroyed in an accidental fire at his studio in Cologne after the end of World War II. Fortunately, about 11,000 of them were recovered and an exhibition was held after Sander's death by his son, in large scale prints to present the life's work of his father emphasising a critical element of his work: presenting an individual and details In storytellin.
Full bodies photographs of people were able to represent the working class of people as moments in history. There is the idea that where people may not have had a voice they were able to be photographed, and with that came a story to be told through the images. The people he met and encountered presented themselves as they were, in the environment and formed a historic representation of the 20th century.
I have followEd this kind or representation of people through his style of documentary photography through the way I capture the people I encounter. The significance of the person and visually communicating their story or place in society, alongside a collection of intimate images and encounters across different industries in Australia, has been a rewarding experience....
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