« Among the subjects that he has photographed, there is one that is very dear to Ernst Haas, New York City. For nearly 40 years, he has taken pictures of a city that as a child in Austria he could only dream about. With the help of his friends at Magnum, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, he definitively relocated to New York in 1951.
For his first black and white photographic series, he focused on the complex architecture and abstract lines of the city landscape. However it was the city’s incessant movement and lively colors that inspired his next color series on Kodachrome film.
His first color works were so overwhelming and revolutionary for the time period that in 1953 Life Magazine ran a 24 page spread in two consecutive issues. The original title was “Pictures of a Magic City”.
It was in 1962 that his color pictures were exposed at the MoMA (Edward Steichen and John Szarkowski), his first major exhibition. In the world of color photography, it is often said that there was a before and after this exhibition.
Today Haas’ avant-garde pictures have become veritable symbols. Many photographers were and continue to be inspired by Haas’ work. He is truly considered the “father of color photography”.
Victoria Haas
The exhibition presents 70 prints.
Until June 4
Galerie Photo 12
And Galerie Basia Embiricos
14 rue des Jardins Saint-Paul
75004 Paris
