Pioneren og funktionalisten

For første gang nogensinde udbyder vi nu en stribe sjældne fotografiske værker af den danske pionerfotograf Keld Helmer-Petersen fra hans udstillingssamarbejde med møbelarkitekten Poul Kjærholm i dansk designs guldalder. 

(English version below – scroll down, it’s a long read)

Fotografiets store modernistiske pioner

Den udstillingsaktuelle, danske fotograf Keld Helmer-Petersen sprængte rammerne for, hvad farvefotografi var – 30 år før alle andre. Hans sort-hvide fotografier af storbyens strukturer, mønstre og linjer fra 50’erne og 60’erne var nærmere beslægtet med modernistisk malerkunst end samtidigt dokumentarfotografi. Og så var han nær ven og sparringspartner med møbelarkitekten Poul Kjærholm, som han lavede flere beundringsværdige fællesudstillinger med i dansk designs guldalder. Nu udbydes en stribe sjældne, centrale fotografiske værker fra dette væsentlige samarbejde på Traditionel Auktion.

Fotografi i dansk designs guldalder

Ikke mange ved, at fotografiet var en betydelig medspiller i dansk designs verdensomspændende succes i 1950’erne og 60’erne. Møblernes smukke, funktionelle linjer og detaljer blev fremhævet på en ny og moderne måde – ikke mindst takket være stilrene produktfotografier, der fremhævede møblernes særegne stringens, form og elegance – fra snoninger i stolenes fletværk til veludførte sammenføjninger i stoleskelettet.

En af de mest benyttede produktfotografer i dansk designs guldalder, var den danske kunstfotograf Keld Helmer-Petersen. Selvom han var en pioner inden for sit kunstneriske felt, kunne han ikke ernære sig af at lave kunstfotografier alene. Han supplerede derfor indtjeningen ved at tage (i dag ikoniske) produktbilleder af Finn Juhl, Hans J. Wegner og Poul Kjærholms møbler for bl.a. den legendariske møbelproducent Kold Christensen. Hans blik for linjer og mønstre talte et tydeligt sprog, der gik godt i spænd med dansk design. Han fik på den måde sin (mindre kendte) andel i succesfuldt at profilere dansk designs særegenhed i hele verden.

Pioneren og funktionalisten

Men flere af møbelarkitekterne integrerede også fotografisk kunst i deres udstillingsdesign i denne periode – det blev ganske enkelt anset som en moderne, kunstnerisk udtryksform, der lå på linje med de danske møbelarkitekters. Møbelarkitekten Poul Kjærholm lavede deciderede udstillingssamarbejder med nogle af dansk fotografis største navne, heriblandt flere med Keld Helmer-Petesen, som også blev en nær ven. På deres fællesudstillinger komplementerede Helmer-Petersen fotografiske kunst og Kjærholms skulpturelle møbler hinanden i en smuk strukturel, symbiotisk helhed.

På den aktuelle traditionelle auktion præsenterer vi en samling på i alt 100 fotografier, som har været solgt i forbindelse med en af disse udstillinger. Det drejer sig om ti suiter af fotografier (med ti fotografier i hver). Det er ikke bare en sjældent udbudt, men også en helt enestående samling af fotografier fra en central periode i Helmer-Petersens karriere såvel som i dansk designs historie. 

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Symbiosen i Palsbys galleri

Fotografierne blev i 1965 udstillet på Keld Helmer-Petersen og møbelarkitekten Poul Kjærholms fælles kunst- og møbeludstillingen ”Strukturer” i designer Ole Palsbys kunstgalleri i København. Her blev de mange fotografier udstillet side om side med enkeltdele fra Kjærholms møbler – fra møtrikker til stoleben og lædersæder. 

Møbeldelene svævede som skulpturelle elementer på hævede podier og komplementerede Helmer-Petersens modernistiske fotografier, der både var blæst op på enorme vægfotostater og løb som mindre friser langs væggene og bandt den stramt komponerede udstilling sammen. Kjærholms beundring for japansk enkelhed og æstetik fornægtede sig ikke i udstillingsdesignet – alt var tænkt ind som en del af helheden.

Sjældent udbudt fotografisk samling

På Ole Palsbys opfordring fremstillede Keld Helmer-Petersen ti suiter originalfotografier i et begrænset antal til salg på udstillingen.De blev solgt i hvide lærredsæsker med blindtrykte titler på ryggen. I dag ejer Det Kgl. Bibliotek og Designmuseum Danmark enkelte af æskerne. I privateje kendes dog kun dette ene sæt på hele ti æsker. Sammen med suiterne udbydes også en dagbog fra Keld Helmer-Petersens formative ophold i 1951 på Institute of Design i Chicago. 

Æskerner har været den svenske kritiker og forfatter Ulf Hård af Segerstads, som erhvervede æskerne i forbindelse med udstillingen i 1965. Segerstad var chefredaktør for magasinet FORM og udgav flere bøger med fotografier af Keld Helmer-Petersen, og i 1999 var han medforfatter til en monografi om Kjærholm. 

Fotografiet som kunstværk

Keld Helmer-Petersen kan lige nu kan opleves på Det nationale fotomuseums store retrospektive udstilling ”Finding Beauty” på Diamanten. Han var en af dansk og international kunstfotografis helt store pionerer. Han var mere optaget af fotografiets kompositoriske muligheder end dets rent dokumentariske egenskaber. ”Jeg fandt efterhånden ud af, at den gode fotografs evne til at komponere et billede ikke stod tilbage fra grafikeren eller maleren,” sagde han. 

Af samme grund følte han et stærkere slægtskab med de danske møbeldesignere Finn Juhl og Poul Kjærholm samt malere som Ole Schwalbe, Preben Hornung og Rasmus Nelleman end sine danske fotografkollegaer i fx Deltagruppen. De var ”jo en helt generation yngre end jeg. Jeg har stor respekt for dem … men de arbejdede på en helt anden måde end jeg,” fortalte han i 2007 til Weekendavisen. 

Geometriske figurer og jazzede synkoper

Helmer-Petersen var optaget af kompositionerne og de abstrakte mønstre i verden omkring ham. Han lod sig inspirere af konstruktivismens geometriske figurer og jazzens improvisationer og rytmiske spring. Nybruddet i hans fotografi bestod i hans evne til at frembringe en ny virkelighed, hvor motivet i sig selv var det bærende og ikke fotografiet som dokument. I hans værker flyder det genkendelige hverdagsmotiv over i det stramt grafiske og abstrakte. 

Helmer-Petersens pionerrejse begyndte, da han i 1938 fik et Leica-kamera i studentergave af sin mor. Allerede her var det kameraets muligheder for komposition, der fascinerede ham lige som hverdagslivets detaljer, mønstrer og strukturer. 

Han var stærkt inspireret af den tyske modernist og fotograf Albert Renger-Patsch’s abstrakte, sort-hvide fotografiske undersøgelser fra 1920’erne. Han legede med gentagelse, perspektiv og komposition i sine fotografier af hverdagsobjekter som sakse, glas og blomster. Dette var essentielt for Helmer-Petersen gennem hele hans lange karriere. Og det var da også legen med farvefotografiets flader og udforskningen af dets kunstneriske muligheder, der endte med at give ham det helt store internationale gennembrud.

Da amatørfotografen brød igennem internationalt

Da den blot 28-årige eksperimenterende amatørfotograf i 1948 udgav bogværket “122 Farvefotografier” for egne midler, skabte det nemlig internationalt røre. Bogen blev opdaget af Life Magazines redaktør Wilson Hicks. De spektakulære farvefotografier fik kort efter hele syv siders særomtale i ”Life Magazine” – en uhørt præstation for en ung ukendt, dansk amatørfotograf. Og næsten 30 år tidligere end William Egglestons udstilling på MoMA i New York, der ofte nævnes som den udstilling, hvor farvefotografiet brød igennem. 

Den flotte internationale omtale åbnede mange døre. I oktober 1950 til maj 1951 fik Helmer-Petersen mulighed for at studere og undervise på det legendariske Institute of Design i Chicago, en amerikansk aflægger af den tyske Bauhausskole grundlagt af kunstnerfotografen og tidligere lærer ved Bauhaus Làzslo Moloy-Nagy efter krigen og ledet af den legendariske amerikanske fotograf Harry Callahan. I disse år lærte han også fotografiske legender som Richard Avedon og Aaron Siskind at kende. Han begyndte desuden at arbejde med stregnegativer, der kun indeholder sort-hvid og derfor giver de meget karakteristiske kontraster, som også ses i fotografierne fra udstillingen ”Strukturer”, som nu udbydes på auktion. I sommeren 1951 vendte han hjem til Danmark, hvor han tog hul på samarbejdet med flere af eksponenterne for dansk design.  

En skelsættende pioner

Keld Helmer-Petersen har haft en afgørende betydning for fotografisk kunst i Danmark såvel som internationalt. Han eksperimenterede lige til det sidste med det fotografiske medie, udgav flere roste fotobøger og blev hædret med både Thorvald Bindesbøll Medaljen, Fogtdals Fotografpris og Foreningen for Boghaandværks Ærespris. Han var lektor i fotografi ved kunstakademiet og formand for bestyrelsen for Museet for fotokunst i Odense i en årrække. Siden 2008 har hans smukke grafiske fotografier fra udstillingen ”Strukturer” desuden budt danske og internationale rejsende på Kastrup Lufthavn Station velkommen og farvel.

Alle fotografierne i samlingen, samt dagbog og øvrige fotografier kan opleves på eftersynet 12.-16. september i Bredgade 33, København K. Auktionen foregår samme sted onsdag den 25. september.

I forbindelse med eftersynet vil fotohistoriker og kurator af Det Kgl. Biblioteks store udstilling om Keld Helmer-Petersen “Finding Beauty” Inger Ellekilde Bonde holde Gallery Talk’en “Fotografen Keld Helmer-Petersen – fra Chicago Bauhaus til Danish Modern” fredag den 13. september kl. 16 i Bredgade 33 på første sal ved udstillingen af værkerne.

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The Pioneer and The Functionalist

For the first time ever, we are now offering a series of rare photographic works by the Danish pioneer photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen from his collaborative exhibition with the furniture architect Poul Kjærholm during the golden age of Danish design.

The Great Modernist Pioneer of Photography

The currently exhibited Danish photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen completely changed people’s conceptions of what colour photography could be – 30 years before everyone else. His black-and-white photographs of big city structures, patterns and lines in the 1950s and 1960s were more akin to modernist art than contemporary documentary photography. Furthermore, he was a close friend and sparring partner with the furniture architect Poul Kjærholm, with whom Helmer-Petersen made several impressive collaborative exhibitions during the golden age of Danish design. Now a series of rare and key photographic works are being offered from this significant collaboration at the Live Auction in Copenhagen.

Photography During the Golden Age of Danish Design

Not many people know that photography was a significant contributor to Danish design’s worldwide success during the 1950s and 1960s. The beautiful, functional lines and details of the furniture pieces were highlighted in a new and modern way – not least thanks to the minimalist style of the commercial photographs that highlighted the furniture design’s distinctive rigorousness, shape and elegance – from the weaving in the chairs’ wickerwork to the well-made joints in the wooden frames.

One of the most used commercial photographers during the golden age of Danish design was the art photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen. Although he was a pioneer within his artistic field, he could not live off his art photography alone. Therefore, he supplemented his income by taking (what has now become iconic) product images of Finn Juhl, Hans J. Wegner and Poul Kjærholm’s furniture for people such as the legendary furniture manufacturer Kold Christensen. Helmer-Petersen’s keen eye for lines and patterns resulted in a clear idiom that went well with Danish design. In this way, he contributed with his (lesser-known) share to the successful profiling of the unique properties of Danish design throughout the world.

The Functionalist and Pioneer

Several of the furniture architects actually also integrated photographic art into their exhibition design during this period – it was regarded as a modern, artistic form of expression that fit well with the Danish furniture architects’ own idiom. The furniture architect Poul Kjærholm made several collaborative exhibitions with some of Danish photography’s biggest names, including several with Keld Helmer-Petersen, and the pair also became close friends. At their joint exhibitions, Helmer-Petersen’s photographic art and Kjærholm’s sculptural furniture complemented each other in a beautiful structural, symbiotic whole.

At the upcoming Live Auction, we can present a collection of 100 photographs in total. The collection has been sold in connection with one of the above-mentioned exhibitions and consists of ten photographic suites (with ten photographs in each). It is not just a rare collection to present at auction, but also a truly unique seriesof photographs from a central period in Helmer-Petersen’s career as well as in the history of Danish Design.

The Symbiosis in Palsby’s Gallery

The photographs were exhibited in 1965 at Keld Helmer-Petersen and Poul Kjærholm’s joint art and furniture exhibition “Strukturer” (Structures) in designer Ole Palsby’s gallery in Copenhagen. Here the many photographs were exhibited alongside individual elements from Kjærholm’s furniture – from nuts and bolts to chair legs and leather seats. 

The pieces of furniture hovered like sculptural elements on raised podiums, complementing Helmer-Petersen’s modernist photographs, that were both blown up as huge photo murals and ran as smaller friezes along the walls, tying the tightly composed exhibition together. Kjærholm’s admiration for Japanese simplicity and aesthetics is clearly present in the exhibition design – everything was considered a part of the whole.

Rarely Offered Photographic Collection

At Ole Palsby’s suggestion, Keld Helmer-Petersen produced ten suites of original photographs in a limited number intended for sale at the exhibition. They were sold in white cloth boxes with blind-stamped titles on the back. Today, the Danish Royal Library and the Designmuseum Danmark owns some of these boxes. The collection up for auction is the only set of the ten boxes known to be in private ownership. Along with the ten suites we present at the auction comes a diary from Keld Helmer-Petersen’s formative stay in 1951 at the Institute of Design in Chicago.

The boxes have been owned by the Swedish critic and author Ulf Hård of Segerstad, who acquired them in connection with the exhibition in 1965. Segerstad was the editor-in-chief of the magazine FORM and published several books with photographs by Keld Helmer-Petersen, and in 1999 he co-authored a monograph on Kjærholm.

The Photograph as a Piece of Art

The photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen (1920-2013), who can now be seen at the National Museum of Photography’s large retrospective exhibition “Finding Beauty” at the Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen, was one of the great pioneers of Danish and international art photography. He was more interested in the possibilities of working with motifs in photography than the medium’s purely documental qualities. “I eventually came to the conclusion that a good photographer’s ability to compose an image was at the same level as that of a good graphic artist or a painter,” he said.

For the same reason, he felt a stronger kinship with the Danish furniture designers Finn Juhl and Poul Kjærholm as well as painters such as Ole Schwalbe, Preben Hornung and Rasmus Nelleman than his Danish photography colleagues such as the Delta group. They were “a whole generation younger than me. I have a lot of respect for them… but they worked in a completely different way than I did,” he stated in 2007.

Geometric Figures and Jazz Syncopes

Helmer-Petersen was preoccupied with the compositions and abstract patterns of the world around him. He was inspired by the geometric figures of Constructivism and the improvisations and rhythmic leaps of jazz. The pioneering aspect of his photography consisted of his ability to create a new reality, where the motif was the central component itself and not the photograph as a document. In his works, the recognizable everyday motif flowed into the tightly graphic and abstract.

Helmer-Petersen’s pioneer journey began in 1938 when he received a Leica camera as a graduation present from his mother. Already at this time, it was the camera’s possibilities for composition that fascinated him as well as the details, patterns and structures of everyday life.

He was highly inspired by the German modernist and photographer Albert Renger-Patsch’s abstract, black-and-white photographic studies from the 1920s. Like him Helmer-Petersen played with repetition, perspective and composition in his photographs of everyday objects such as scissors, glass and flowers. This was essential to him throughout his entire career. And it was also the experimental play with the colour photography’s surfaces and the exploration of its artistic possibilities that ended up giving him his major international breakthrough.

The International Breakthrough of an Amateur Photographer

In 1948, when the experimental amateur photographer was only 28 years old, he published the book “122 Color Photographs”. It was paid for out of his own pocket and caused quite a sensation internationally. The book was discovered by the Life Magazine editor Wilson Hicks, and shortly thereafter the spectacular colour photographs received a special feature presentation across seven pages in Life Magazine – an unprecedented achievement for a young, unknown Danish amateur photographer. This was also nearly 30 years before William Eggleston’s exhibition at MoMA in New York, which is often cited as the exhibition where colour photography achieved its breakthrough.

The impressive international publicity opened many doors for Helmer-Petersen. From October 1950 to May 1951, he was given the opportunity to study and teach at the legendary Institute of Design in Chicago. The school was an American offshoot of the German Bauhaus School founded by the artist-photographer and former teacher at Bauhaus Làzslo Moholy-Nagy after the war and led by the legendary American photographer Harry Callahan. During this period, Helmer-Petersen also got to know photographic legends such as Richard Avedon and Aaron Siskind. He also began working with negatives that only contained black and white and therefore provided the very characteristic contrasts, which can also be seen in the photographs from the exhibition “Structures” that are now being offered at auction. In the summer of 1951, Helmer-Petersen returned to Denmark and began collaborating with several different furniture architects integral to Danish Design.

A Ground-breaking Pioneer

Keld Helmer-Petersen has had a decisive influence on photographic art in both Denmark and internationally. He experimented right up to the end of his life with the photographic medium, published several acclaimed photographic books and was honoured with both the Thorvald Bindesbøll Medal, the Fogtdal Photographer’s Award and the Association of Book-craft’s Honorary Award. He was an associate professor in photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the board of the Museum of Photographic Art in Odense for a number of years. Since 2008, his beautiful graphic photographs from the exhibition “Structures” have also welcomed Danish and international travellers at the Kastrup Airport railway station.

All the photographs in the collection, as well as the diary and additional photographs can be seen at the preview on 12-16 September in Bredgade 33, Copenhagen. The auction takes place at the same address on Wednesday 25 September. View all the preview and auction times here.

View the entire collection of Keld Helmer-Petersen