GOTTFRIED JÄGER

ARTIST

PINHOLE STRUCTURE 3.8.14 D 7, 1.3, 1973 is a gelatin silver print created by Gottfried Jäger. It belongs to a group of works that explore generative photography on a systematic-constructive basis.
The series of works to which this artwork belongs was created as a contribution to the field of generative photography. The first eight series, referred to as programs 3.1-3.8, were exposed on color and black-and-white materials (paper and film) between January 12 and 30, 1967. The unique prints from this series were produced on color paper (series 3.1 and 3.2) and on film, allowing for duplications (prints). The black-and-white series 3.8 represents a preliminary conclusion, with image number 14 (the last in the series) serving as the basis for further modifications based on specific design parameters. This particular image was designated "3.8.14 A" and became a key image for the subsequent creation of around 200 derived images.
Pinhole structures, as seen in this artwork, originate from the principle of optical imaging found in the camera obscura (pinhole camera). Jäger developed this concept into a complex optical system, a variable multiple pinhole camera. This system provided a method for designing geometric patterns according to a programmed and comprehensible generative image grammar. The initial works from this series were exhibited at the Generative Photography exhibition in 1968 at Kunsthaus Bielefeld, which showcased works by other artists such as Breier, Cordier, and Gravenhorst, accompanied by texts from Herbert W. Franke and Gottfried Jäger.
The artwork has been exhibited and published in various contexts, including the first exhibition at Kunsthaus Bielefeld in February and March 1968. It was also featured in publications such as "Generative Fotografie" in Foto Prisma (Düsseldorf, 1969) and "Pinhole Structures: Generative Photographic Works 1967-1974" in Pinhole Journal (San Lorenzo, NM, USA, 1989), with a subsequent reprint in HyperSpace (Kyoto, Japan, 1998).
Notable collections that include Jäger's works are the Etzold Collection, the Program Random System at the Städtisches Museum Abteiberg Mönchengladbach, the Peter C. Ruppert Collection: Concrete Art in Europe after 1945 at the Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg, and the Photographic Collection at Museum Folkwang Essen.

Pinhole Structure 3.8.14 D 7, 1.3, 1973

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

EXHIBITION

STANZFORM (Theme and Variations VI) is a series of artworks by Gottfried Jäger, created in 1965. This series, along with the Rasterfelder works from the same year, represents a transition in Jäger's art from object-related, to free, non-object-related designs. The STANZFORM series features grid indents that take on their own form and meaning within the broader context of the Rasterfelder group.
Gottfried Jäger has been working in the field of abstract photography since the early 1960s. He sees photography not just as a medium to capture external conditions but as an artistic object in itself. Throughout his over fifty years of artistic practice, Jäger has become one of the most renowned names in German photographic art. In 2014, he received the Culture Prize of the German Society for Photography, which recognized his artistic achievements and contributions as a photo theorist and historian.

Title