André Kertész
American (born in Hungary), 1894–1985
Satiric Dancer, Paris, 1926
silver print on paper
25.2 x 20.3 cm Image: 24.6 x 19.7 cm
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of an anonymous donor
G-85-249
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Hungarian-born photographer André Kertész gained critical attention for his unorthodox compositions and use of unusual camera angles. In 1925 he moved to Paris and became involved with the Dada movement. This image, of a woman posing in a contorted manner, is of the Hungarian dancer and cabaret performer Magda Förstner. The photograph was taken in the studio of a friend of Kertész’s, fellow Hungarian émigré, the sculptor István Beöthy, whose sculpture is seen at the left. Kertész asked Förstner to pose in a manner that evokes the spirit of an artist’s studio. Kertész believed in capturing the right moment when the subject changes and shifts to something else. This piece is part of the WAG’s impressive collection of 180 photographs by Kertész taken between 1914 and 1981.
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