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Background information
"The photographs of Benjamin KATZ tell the story of contemporary art almost without a gap and are among the most beautiful that the genre of artist photography has to offer. Since the 1970s, Benjamin KATZ and his camera have been an indispensable part of the art scene. Whether A. R. Penck, Markus Lüppertz, Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, Georg Baselitz, Per Kirkeby, Jörg Immendorff or Sigmar Polke - hardly a big name is missing from the extensive archive of the photo artist.
"'You have to have seen how Benjamin KATZ takes his pictures,' writes FAZ journalist Freddy Langer in his essay for the exhibition volume 'Benjamin Katz.' He observes the hustle and bustle with distinguished reserve, waves with a barely perceptible gesture to some of those present, occasionally he smiles briefly, wags his head a little questioningly, and then he has already pulled his camera out from under his arm. For just a moment, he looks through the viewfinder, releases the shutter, and lets the camera disappear again just as quickly as he conjured it up. Hardly anyone noticed anything.' Benjamin KATZ is, as it were, an artist and an artist's friend, his pictures testify to mutual respect and affection. He gives the viewer insights into the private sphere of the artists, visits them in the studio and accompanies them in their creative processes. In the process, truthful photographs are created, without pathos or stylization, which is what makes his photographic art so great.
Content
The three-language catalog volume 'Benjamin Katz', published to accompany the Paris exhibition, brings together a selection of 90 photographs. A sequence of images composed by Benjamin KATZ himself presents highlights of his artistic work with elegant clarity and simplicity, showing landscapes and still lifes of enchanting beauty alongside numerous portraits of artists." (© Hirmer Verlag, 2016)