GOTTFRIED JÄGER

ARTIST

Since the early 1960s, Gottfried Jäger has been working in the field of "abstract" photography. He regards the photographic process not only as a medium for conveying external conditions but as an artistic object in its own right.
With this approach, he is the forerunner of a new generation of photographic artists such as James Welling, Walid Beshty, Liz Deschenes, Marco Breuer, and others. In over fifty years of visual practice, his name has become one of the best known in German photographic art. Presented in collaboration with <a href="https://www.photoeditionberlin.com/">Photo Edition Berlin</a>.

GOTTFRIED JÄGER | GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Gottfried Jäger | PHOTO 111110.4, 2011
WHEN: 18 October 2024, 6 PM CET
WHAT IS IT: This is the second NFT by Gottfried Jäger. It is the first to be minted through the artist’s wallet and released with a print: 40 x 40 cm, Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl 285, hand-signed.
WHY IT‘S WORTH COLLECTING: Under the influence of Max Bense and Herbert W. Franke, Gottfried Jäger devised a radicalised form of the image, which he first called GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY in 1968 at a joint exhibition with Kilian Breier, Pierre Cordier and Hein Gravenhorst at the Kunsthaus Bielefeld.
WHAT THE ARTIST SAYS: "The term GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY was introduced in 1968 with the intention of conceiving and establishing the photographic process as an image-generating 'generative system.'"
HOW IT WAS CREATED: "The PHOTO series is based on the application of the computer program Adobe Photoshop®. However, unlike usual, it does not start with a photo as the source motif; instead, the program produces its own images. It essentially plays with itself. Original formal potentials emerge without being 'disturbed' by an external image motif. What is visible is solely the syntax of the program: brightness, contrast, colors, textures, etc. Neither images (icons) nor symbols are created, but rather pure form images (indices, symptoms) formalism." – Gottfried Jäger
CURATOR: Anika Meier <meta charset="utf-8">COLLABORATOR: Photo Edition Berlin

GOTTFRIED JÄGER | PHOTO 111110.4, 2011

Gunther Dietrich is the founder of Photo Edition Berlin, which opened in 2008. One of the gallery's first exhibitions showcased works by Gottfried Jäger, the founder of "Generative Photography." The name Photo Edition Berlin has been programmatic from the beginning: "Photography" means "drawn with light," and "Edition" emphasizes photography as the reproduction medium par excellence. On the occasion of the exhibition by Gottfried Jäger and Hein Gravenhorst, presented jointly by Photo Edition Berlin and EXPANDED.ART, Anika Meier and Gunther Dietrich discuss the beginnings of Photo Edition Berlin, the history of generative photography, and how Jäger and Gravenhorst have shaped the history of photography, as well as how NFTs are changing the digital art market.

IN CONVERSATION WITH GUNTHER DIETRICH

PHOTO EDITION BERLIN: DISCOVERING GENERATIVE AND CONCRETE PHOTOGRAPHY

MAGAZINE

The exhibition presents pioneers from different generations, early 1950s until today, working in the field of generative art. On view will be, among others, plotter drawings, generative photography, sculptures, and NFTs from 30 international artists. In collaboration with ELEMENTUM.ART.

GROUP SHOW

THE THINKING MACHINE. PRESENTING PIONEERS, 1953-2023 | GALLERY & SHOWROOM

GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY REVISITED. FROM LIGHT TO CODE

GOTTFRIED JÄGER AND HEIN GRAVENHORST | GALLERY

AI BIENNALE, ESSEN

REIMAGINE TOMORROW, 1954–2024

EXHIBITION

"Since the early 1990s, I have been incorporating digital processes and computers into my generative program. The focus is no longer on 'emanations of light' (Franz Roh), but rather on their simulation, in memory of these. For example, the PHOTO series, with initial works from 2004 onwards, is based on the use of the commercial computer image editing program Adobe Photoshop. However, its application is not based on a photograph that would be edited with its help, as is usually the case. Instead, the program produces its own images, pure syntax, pure form. It plays with itself, so to speak, whereby its syntactic properties become recognizably prominent without an external image motif overlaying and 'disturbing' its self-reference. Only the program's form work is visible, its brightness, contrasts, colors, textures, etc. No representations (icons) and no symbols are created, but only form images (symptoms), formalisms. One could also say, 'Photographisms' (J. A. Schmoll gen. Eisenwerth), as they refer to the photographic canon of forms. They become the object of contemplation."
– Gottfried Jäger ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR COLLECTORS This is the second NFT by Gottfried Jäger, and it is the first to be released with a print: 40 x 40 cm, Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl 285, hand-signed.

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