| This exhibition
brings together a group of photographers whose extraordinary
contribution to European photography has quite literally been
'frozen out' by the cold war. Curated by Matthew Shaul the
exhibition includes works by Arno Fischer, Sibylle Bergemann,
Helga Paris, Evelyn Richter, Maria Sewcz, Erasmus Schroeter,
Gundula Schulze Eldowy, Ulrich Wust and Ursula Arnold.
Almost completely unknown
in Britain, these artists developed their practice in the
former East Germany , negotiating its omnipresent secret police
to create imagery, increasingly compared to that of luminaries
such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus and Paul Strand.
Disparate in background and experience, their works use an
unforgiving documentary aesthetic to convey both the harsh
realities and remarkable richness of life behind the iron
curtain.
Sticking closely to
the mantra of 'realism' - the state directed creed which defined
what was artistically acceptable - these photographers circumnavigated
a rigid system of censorship to produce the most insightful
and socially critical visual arts output in East Germany 's
forty year history. The resulting images expose the often
tawdry reality of the socialist experiment, and the humour,
stoicism and resignation with which East Germany 's citizens
dealt with their lives.
A catalogue is available
to accompany the exhibition. Do Not Refreeze is a touring
exhibition from the University of Hertfordshire Galleries.
More related events:
Press
Release - Free Documentary Screening of Just An Ordinary
Life
Review
of Just An Ordinary Life by Joanne Skeels
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