An image by a photographer with a fascinating back story.
Little did I know, that this image would lead me to a debate of morals and fascist aesthetics.
Man In Africa
Little did I know, that this image would lead me to a debate of morals and fascist aesthetics.
Man In Africa
The cover shows a photograph of a Nuba boy by Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl. In 1975 Riefenstahl spent 16 weeks with the Nuba of Kau. Her photographs from this time were published in her second Nuba Photo monograph, Die Nuba Von Kau. The Typeface is Kabel Black.
 |
| A2035-ISBN_01402_2035_6: MAN IN AFRICA: Colin M. Turnbull |
Below is the original image, sourced from Leni's Website; which may give some insight into the aesthetic decisions made by the designer of the cover. The reddening of the eyes for example; the tight crop and possible darkening of the image.
 |
Photo: ©Leni Riefenstahl |
Leni Riefenstahl [1902 - 2003] was a German film director and photographer, but she was originally a dancer and an actress and during the 1920's and early 1930's starred in six of Arnold Fanck's Mountain films.
In 1932 she became a film director. Two of her films in particular; Triumph of the Will and Olympia are widely seen as propaganda films for the Third Reich, yet were critically acclaimed and are still regarded as aesthetically stunning and groundbreaking in terms of film making techniques.
Riefenstahl was arrested after WWII by the allies as a Nazi sympathiser, but released without charge after "Denazification".
Throughout the 1950's and '60's (Although she tried to distance herself from her Nazi affiliations) she found it all but impossible to make any more films due to her history.
She reinvented herself as a photographer in the 1960's, and, partially inspired by the Nuba photographs of George Rodger–travelled to Africa, where she spent time living with the Nuba peoples and documenting their way of life. Ultimately producing 2 bestseller Photo monographs of her work in the 1970's; The last of the Nuba and the People of Kau.
Susan Sontag had some very interesting things to say about Riefenstahl in her essay Fascinating Fascism in 1975.
Leni Riefenstahl died in 2003 aged 101. Here is the New York Times' Obituary, and the also the Obituary from the Times of London. Also see this review of this biography: Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl; by Steven Bach. All very Interesting reads indeed.
In summary, regarding the initial catalyst for this post.
It's amazing how an image can lead you on such a massive and unexpected journey. There's certainly been a lot of image-making history unearthed by this, and I'll definitely be continuing the research.
Oh and eventually i'll read the book too.
Pelican-A2035-ISBN_01402_2035_6
MAN IN AFRICA
Colin M. Turnbull
Cover Photo: Leni Riefenstahl
Published: 1978
Type: Kabel Black
Made and printed in Great Britain by
Cox & Wyman Ltd,
London, Reading and Fakenham
Set in Linotype Juliana
No comments:
Post a Comment