BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY photographic work of g.aba
BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY
The photographic work of Gerhard Aba
© Dr. Franz Palank
The life of the Viennese photographer Gerhard Aba has taken an exceptional course. Born in Vienna in 1954 as son of a family with Hungarian roots, he was trained in the rare profession of a glass and porcelain painter after compulsory school. He had actually aspired to higher education in the field of graphic art, but when the school in question only put him on a waiting-list he preferred to learn a profession, which was even then uncommon. The skills and faculties he thus acquired helped him to get a job in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, where the restoration of vessels and utensils of all kinds was part of everyday life. There he was discovered as a photographer, received appropriate education and exchanged paint brush for camera.
He took a lot of peculiarities from his original profession along to his new working life: for example patience and consequence when facing problems as well as accuracy at work and attention for the detail. Since in his apprenticeship handicraft was intersecting with art, he early learned to focus his look on both; this double-pole perspective he has kept until today.
Photography became a job on one side and artistic occupation on the other. His way led him from the museum to photo-journalism, renowned agencies like Associated Press counted him as staff member. Later he was discovered for the famous magazine “Wiener”, where he soon gained a reputation for considering no job too bizarre or too dangerous. There followed legendary reporting, especially together with his protégé and friend Gerald Teufel, his feeling for the right moment and the persistence in waiting for it, always provided photos that attracted attention.
When parts of Europe faced dramatic changes during the late eighties, Gerhard Aba was among the photographers, who documented the upheavals in the countries concerned on photo. For instance, pictures of extraordinary dramatic originate from the end of Ceausescu’s regime in Rumania; taken at high risk of his life they show the monstrous brutality of the regime’s blood-hounds acting under pressure. From there it was not too far to the Balkans. He shot Yugoslavia falling apart; during the Bosnian war he was witness to the events in hard-fought Sarajevo and other places. Reckless soldiers were exercising themselves in executing him and other journalists. That they had just blank cartridge in their guns, the delinquents did not know. Of his front teeth only one was left.
Eventually, there came a time when this had to be over, he could not hear or see any more of it. He quit and with intensity turned to his other side, art photography. He had practised it already at the beginning of his career as photographer, had come off quite successfully with various exhibitions, but for a long time photo-journalism, building an economical basis, stood in front.
In artistic photography he had tried different techniques, at all times dwelling on erotic as core subject. He always had a liking for beautiful female legs, and since long it did not necessarily have to be two of them. When one day he met his first love, he had no idea that she just had one arm and one leg. The long lasting community that had grown between them hence, impressed his life persistently. The affinity to asymmetry had a lasting effect, even after their relationship was long over. It amalgamated with a general sympathy for features of individuals, whom normality had made subject to scorn and mockery: like big noses, red hair, ethnic differences and other attributes, as can be concluded from the following partners in his eventful private life.
Over the years, incredibly appealing photos of amputated women were produced by one who took an enormous pleasure in them and gave them the feeling of being truly appreciated. The first photos he shot of his long-time girl-friend. In principle, they are strictly geometrical, as if meant to outweigh the difference to symmetry. The face was never visible, a tribute to the fact that dealing with this issue has been off limits until very recently. If pictures at all, then not at the cost of the identity behind the modified bodies. Already at that time exquisitely touching images like “One Step Ahead” emerged, today almost a classic of modern photography.
Later he combined the presentation of asymmetry with his journalistic journeys to the awakening neighbour countries, the overwhelming picture “She Danced Just One Summer”, was produced along the way of a report in Romania. At home, however, his photographic works stands out for elaborate arrangements, as if to compensate the permanent haste in faraway places with particular thoughtfulness in the process of creation. He labelled part of these works as “altarpieces”.
“Silent Waters Are Deep” belongs to the artworks of this period. Gerhard Aba had been working on this photo for nearly one year. The actress, a young woman from Slovakia, had to come over several times before the picture was shot. It certainly belongs to the best photos Gerhard Aba ever made. On first sight some might find it nightmarish, others, who are able to linger upon the image and read in it, will be fascinated …
The ability to look into these images frankly is probably one of the most important qualities of people who draw near Gerhard Aba’s work. Unsuspectingly he once attended to one of the most dramatic subjects of human anguish: the enormous fear of prematurely losing one part of the body. From primeval times cutting, especially cutting off has caused terrible fear, and over the ages it has excited even much more namely mortal fear. Who lost a limb, happened to survive only suffering infernal torments and with luck, the normal case was dreadful death. Till our days, when amputation is classified as routine matter for surgeons, people still prefer to avoid the subject; they rather bury anguish and traumatic relics deep inside themselves and close their eyes in front of reality. The issue is a taboo, more often than not even in sciences that should urgently take care of these questions. The ones who are concerned by such damage have to endure the consequences: abhorrence, disgust, contempt and social exclusion are just as well psychological defence mechanisms like displacements and projections, which put amputated persons in the centre of erotic fantasies.
Obviously the fear is so powerful that it can turn over to the reverse. Being taboo the circumstances give rise to queer practices, in fact in amazing lots, there are not only those, who admit their negative or positive reactions more or less candidly
The images of Gerhard Aba create candidness, they break the taboo. Somehow he was aware of it already when he still thought, he never would feel like publishing photos of this kind. It was only a few years ago, that he took heart to put them into the light. The success proved he had been right taking the risk. The photographs create a sensation, they initiate discussions and they open numerous chances to flatten the various modes of psychic sloping positions.
The concerned women highly appreciate that, even more, as it gets about, to which extent the photographer commits the joint work (far from the boring clichés of model industry) to them, to their ideas and desires. Gerhard Aba lets the images grow in interaction, just like in a dialogue with his models, slowly and with caution and without dominant impudence or infringements, behaviour that many other photographers are said to show on the set.
With him, taking pictures is like putting on stage the concerned self, often also an act of liberation and of fulfilling the desire to indulge in looking beautiful at last. Gerhard Aba benefits from having to deal on the set with individuals, who by being different had been exacted to enter a process of self-reflection that the big majority of their conspecifics can evade easily, but which brings about an amount of personal strength, all other people finally can learn a lot from. If there was evidence needed that taints bestow strength and vibrancy on a person, it is Gerhard Aba’s photos of women with asymmetrical bodies.
Last but not least due to new means of communication and the development of the Internet into a platform of the taints, the atmosphere in our society has changed and a more open-minded discussion of these issues was encouraged during the last years. Gerhard Aba’s recent photos profit from that. Lately all models show their faces, which signifies that the women are prepared to appear in public along with all their being different. The first was Vivien, his long-time muse, who with her eye-patch presents only a playful reminiscence to the models of the past in their masquerades. While it has not been long since he had to mirror his partners on the set when processing the photos, because they were frightened of being recognised, on the other hand phenomenal photos were shot meanwhile, like the ones of the women from the TV-documentary „Vom Charme des Makels“ (“About the Charm of the Flaw”, that we both produced together with Gerald Teufel), each of them with clear identity. Especially the image of Lisa Bufano in the outfit of her performance ”Fancy”, a fascinating expression of pride and joy in her face, speaks volumes and is on the way to obtain cult-status in world photography. Such countenances of women feeling fully appreciated I have since experienced occasionally during our joint project work, the last time it was at the shootings with Natalja Sazonova performing Zsuzsa from the novel „Tagebuch der Frösche“ (“Diary of the frogs”), an example of which from the peg-leg series is included in this volume.
No doubt, the photographs by Gerhard Aba are a considerable factor for the above mentioned changes in public debate of the cutting-taboo. And one that reaches deep and avoids superficialities, as was illustrated by the outrage, the mentioned altarpieces caused in some circles. In several of the images saw blades are placed to symbolise the great physical pain and the mental suffering when the life with a modified body is to begin. Some people interpreted that as glorification of violence and herewith made quite clear, that it will take them another while till they have found their own balance handling the subject-matter of the images.
Gerhard Aba is the photographer of the flaw, and is consolidating this role in pursuit of the asymmetry that strikes some millions of people throughout the world. A world where a dull and also terrific normality lets the distinctiveness of numerous individuals be flaw. Much more than half the world is composed of flaws. Gerhard Aba’s photographs suggest to make it one whole.
Vienna, October 2007
Dr. Franz Palank, educationist, Johannes Kepler University, Linz
Translated by Dr. Gabriele Stöger
BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY
IMPRINT
Gerhard Aba - BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY
Texts by Dr. Diethard Leopold, Dr. Franz Palank and Reinhold Sturm
30 images by Gerhard Aba
Number of copies: 500
ISBN 978-3-902602-06-0
M.E.L. Kunsthandel, Vienna 2008
A-1010 Wien, Christinengasse 2
e office@mel-art.com
http://mel-art.com
© All rights reserved
Layout: Sonja Hofstätter
Translation: Dr. Gabriele Stöger
The photographic work of Gerhard Aba
© Dr. Franz Palank
The life of the Viennese photographer Gerhard Aba has taken an exceptional course. Born in Vienna in 1954 as son of a family with Hungarian roots, he was trained in the rare profession of a glass and porcelain painter after compulsory school. He had actually aspired to higher education in the field of graphic art, but when the school in question only put him on a waiting-list he preferred to learn a profession, which was even then uncommon. The skills and faculties he thus acquired helped him to get a job in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, where the restoration of vessels and utensils of all kinds was part of everyday life. There he was discovered as a photographer, received appropriate education and exchanged paint brush for camera.
He took a lot of peculiarities from his original profession along to his new working life: for example patience and consequence when facing problems as well as accuracy at work and attention for the detail. Since in his apprenticeship handicraft was intersecting with art, he early learned to focus his look on both; this double-pole perspective he has kept until today.
Photography became a job on one side and artistic occupation on the other. His way led him from the museum to photo-journalism, renowned agencies like Associated Press counted him as staff member. Later he was discovered for the famous magazine “Wiener”, where he soon gained a reputation for considering no job too bizarre or too dangerous. There followed legendary reporting, especially together with his protégé and friend Gerald Teufel, his feeling for the right moment and the persistence in waiting for it, always provided photos that attracted attention.
When parts of Europe faced dramatic changes during the late eighties, Gerhard Aba was among the photographers, who documented the upheavals in the countries concerned on photo. For instance, pictures of extraordinary dramatic originate from the end of Ceausescu’s regime in Rumania; taken at high risk of his life they show the monstrous brutality of the regime’s blood-hounds acting under pressure. From there it was not too far to the Balkans. He shot Yugoslavia falling apart; during the Bosnian war he was witness to the events in hard-fought Sarajevo and other places. Reckless soldiers were exercising themselves in executing him and other journalists. That they had just blank cartridge in their guns, the delinquents did not know. Of his front teeth only one was left.
Eventually, there came a time when this had to be over, he could not hear or see any more of it. He quit and with intensity turned to his other side, art photography. He had practised it already at the beginning of his career as photographer, had come off quite successfully with various exhibitions, but for a long time photo-journalism, building an economical basis, stood in front.
In artistic photography he had tried different techniques, at all times dwelling on erotic as core subject. He always had a liking for beautiful female legs, and since long it did not necessarily have to be two of them. When one day he met his first love, he had no idea that she just had one arm and one leg. The long lasting community that had grown between them hence, impressed his life persistently. The affinity to asymmetry had a lasting effect, even after their relationship was long over. It amalgamated with a general sympathy for features of individuals, whom normality had made subject to scorn and mockery: like big noses, red hair, ethnic differences and other attributes, as can be concluded from the following partners in his eventful private life.
Over the years, incredibly appealing photos of amputated women were produced by one who took an enormous pleasure in them and gave them the feeling of being truly appreciated. The first photos he shot of his long-time girl-friend. In principle, they are strictly geometrical, as if meant to outweigh the difference to symmetry. The face was never visible, a tribute to the fact that dealing with this issue has been off limits until very recently. If pictures at all, then not at the cost of the identity behind the modified bodies. Already at that time exquisitely touching images like “One Step Ahead” emerged, today almost a classic of modern photography.
Later he combined the presentation of asymmetry with his journalistic journeys to the awakening neighbour countries, the overwhelming picture “She Danced Just One Summer”, was produced along the way of a report in Romania. At home, however, his photographic works stands out for elaborate arrangements, as if to compensate the permanent haste in faraway places with particular thoughtfulness in the process of creation. He labelled part of these works as “altarpieces”.
“Silent Waters Are Deep” belongs to the artworks of this period. Gerhard Aba had been working on this photo for nearly one year. The actress, a young woman from Slovakia, had to come over several times before the picture was shot. It certainly belongs to the best photos Gerhard Aba ever made. On first sight some might find it nightmarish, others, who are able to linger upon the image and read in it, will be fascinated …
The ability to look into these images frankly is probably one of the most important qualities of people who draw near Gerhard Aba’s work. Unsuspectingly he once attended to one of the most dramatic subjects of human anguish: the enormous fear of prematurely losing one part of the body. From primeval times cutting, especially cutting off has caused terrible fear, and over the ages it has excited even much more namely mortal fear. Who lost a limb, happened to survive only suffering infernal torments and with luck, the normal case was dreadful death. Till our days, when amputation is classified as routine matter for surgeons, people still prefer to avoid the subject; they rather bury anguish and traumatic relics deep inside themselves and close their eyes in front of reality. The issue is a taboo, more often than not even in sciences that should urgently take care of these questions. The ones who are concerned by such damage have to endure the consequences: abhorrence, disgust, contempt and social exclusion are just as well psychological defence mechanisms like displacements and projections, which put amputated persons in the centre of erotic fantasies.
Obviously the fear is so powerful that it can turn over to the reverse. Being taboo the circumstances give rise to queer practices, in fact in amazing lots, there are not only those, who admit their negative or positive reactions more or less candidly
The images of Gerhard Aba create candidness, they break the taboo. Somehow he was aware of it already when he still thought, he never would feel like publishing photos of this kind. It was only a few years ago, that he took heart to put them into the light. The success proved he had been right taking the risk. The photographs create a sensation, they initiate discussions and they open numerous chances to flatten the various modes of psychic sloping positions.
The concerned women highly appreciate that, even more, as it gets about, to which extent the photographer commits the joint work (far from the boring clichés of model industry) to them, to their ideas and desires. Gerhard Aba lets the images grow in interaction, just like in a dialogue with his models, slowly and with caution and without dominant impudence or infringements, behaviour that many other photographers are said to show on the set.
With him, taking pictures is like putting on stage the concerned self, often also an act of liberation and of fulfilling the desire to indulge in looking beautiful at last. Gerhard Aba benefits from having to deal on the set with individuals, who by being different had been exacted to enter a process of self-reflection that the big majority of their conspecifics can evade easily, but which brings about an amount of personal strength, all other people finally can learn a lot from. If there was evidence needed that taints bestow strength and vibrancy on a person, it is Gerhard Aba’s photos of women with asymmetrical bodies.
Last but not least due to new means of communication and the development of the Internet into a platform of the taints, the atmosphere in our society has changed and a more open-minded discussion of these issues was encouraged during the last years. Gerhard Aba’s recent photos profit from that. Lately all models show their faces, which signifies that the women are prepared to appear in public along with all their being different. The first was Vivien, his long-time muse, who with her eye-patch presents only a playful reminiscence to the models of the past in their masquerades. While it has not been long since he had to mirror his partners on the set when processing the photos, because they were frightened of being recognised, on the other hand phenomenal photos were shot meanwhile, like the ones of the women from the TV-documentary „Vom Charme des Makels“ (“About the Charm of the Flaw”, that we both produced together with Gerald Teufel), each of them with clear identity. Especially the image of Lisa Bufano in the outfit of her performance ”Fancy”, a fascinating expression of pride and joy in her face, speaks volumes and is on the way to obtain cult-status in world photography. Such countenances of women feeling fully appreciated I have since experienced occasionally during our joint project work, the last time it was at the shootings with Natalja Sazonova performing Zsuzsa from the novel „Tagebuch der Frösche“ (“Diary of the frogs”), an example of which from the peg-leg series is included in this volume.
No doubt, the photographs by Gerhard Aba are a considerable factor for the above mentioned changes in public debate of the cutting-taboo. And one that reaches deep and avoids superficialities, as was illustrated by the outrage, the mentioned altarpieces caused in some circles. In several of the images saw blades are placed to symbolise the great physical pain and the mental suffering when the life with a modified body is to begin. Some people interpreted that as glorification of violence and herewith made quite clear, that it will take them another while till they have found their own balance handling the subject-matter of the images.
Gerhard Aba is the photographer of the flaw, and is consolidating this role in pursuit of the asymmetry that strikes some millions of people throughout the world. A world where a dull and also terrific normality lets the distinctiveness of numerous individuals be flaw. Much more than half the world is composed of flaws. Gerhard Aba’s photographs suggest to make it one whole.
Vienna, October 2007
Dr. Franz Palank, educationist, Johannes Kepler University, Linz
Translated by Dr. Gabriele Stöger
BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY
IMPRINT
Gerhard Aba - BIRD CALL OF ASYMMETRY
Texts by Dr. Diethard Leopold, Dr. Franz Palank and Reinhold Sturm
30 images by Gerhard Aba
Number of copies: 500
ISBN 978-3-902602-06-0
M.E.L. Kunsthandel, Vienna 2008
A-1010 Wien, Christinengasse 2
e office@mel-art.com
http://mel-art.com
© All rights reserved
Layout: Sonja Hofstätter
Translation: Dr. Gabriele Stöger
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