er Pictures

TOMB

THE GRAND RAPIDS BALLET COMPANY

Detroit's Original Holiday Tradition

returns for Thanksgiving weekend
Still Your Best Family Value!

November 26-28, 2010

at the Detroit Opera House

Andre Kertesz: Shadows of the Eiffel Tower, Paris, 1929, gelatin silver print

A Delicate Balance

Photographer's innovative style
combined "snapshot" compositions
with lyrical beauty.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

T

he photographs of Andre
Kertesz have been part of
group exhibitions at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, but museum visitors
soon will get to see them independently.
"An Intuitive Eye: Andre Kertesz
Photographs 1914-1969" will be on dis-
play Nov. 24-April 10, when viewers can
note the evolution of his subjects and
style through growing up in Hungary,
moving on to France and living in the
United States.
Philip Gefter, photography critic, will
lecture about the images 7 p.m. Friday,
Nov. 19.
"We have a large number of permanent
holdings of Kertesz's photographs and
have used some of them over the years in
general survey exhibitions on the history
of photography and different periods of
photography,' says Nancy Barr, associ-
ate curator of the Department of Prints,
Drawings and Photographs.
"We thought this would be an interest-
ing time to mount the Kertesz exhibition
as we try to do in-depth studies on legend-
ary, influential artists and photographers."
Kertesz, known for combining the
techniques and compositions of photo-
journalism with the aesthetics of abstrac-
tions, was part of a middle-class Jewish
family and received his first camera when
he was 18.
After photographing the Hungarian
countryside and World War I soldiers, he
moved to Paris and focused on the creative
community as well as public spaces, and
his work appeared in French magazines.

With his wife, Elizabeth, Kertesz came
to New York in 1936 and had to remain
because of World War II. He earned his
living by capturing architectural designs
for House and Garden magazine before he
was able to take on more artistic projects
shown in galleries and museums.
Kertesz had exhibitions at the Halsted
Gallery in Birmingham, and he visited
the area to meet local collectors inter-
ested in his work.
"Kertesz was a visionary' Barr
explains. "He adopted a modernism per-
spective through light, pattern and tex-
ture and often photographed from very
high up to lend abstraction.
"When you look at the photograph
Shadows of the Eiffel Tower, you can
get a sense of what it is being shown
even though it's abstract looking. Chez
Mondrian is another iconic work because
it has compartmentalizing of the com-
position with the clever use of light and
shadow to form depth."
Another Kertesz technique was using
distorting mirrors to get different effects
with still lifes and nudes.
Although the DIA has about 75 Kertesz
images, the most iconic were picked for
display. Sixty were donated by Noel and
Harriette Levine of New York City, whose
gift was encouraged by Sam Wagstaff, a
former member of the museum staff. The
Levines also have donated iconic photo-
graphs to the Israel Museum.
"Over the years, we got other gifts of
Kertesz's work," Barr says.
"We recently purchased some of
his New York photographs so that we
could better represent that period of his
career." CI

"An Intuitive Eye: Andre Kertesz Photographs 1914-1969" will be on view
Nov. 24-April 10 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Hours are 10 a.m.-4
p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturdays-Sundays. Free viewing and free lecture with museum admission
($4-$8). (313) 833-7900; www.dia.org .

Brought to life by the
Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra,
conducted by John Varinou

Performances:

Friday November 26, at 2:30 p.m.
Friday November 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday November 27, at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday November 27, at 7;30 p.m.
Sunday November 28, at 2:30 p.m.

Family Matinees Fri./Sat/an feature the following:

Professional face painting, $5 donation

q' Santa and Nutcracker available for photos

Live reindeer (prior to performance)
Sugar Plum Parade on stage following the performance
Buffet lunch, $10, Call 313.237.SING for details

For Tickets and Pre-paid Parking in the
Detroit Opera House Parking Center
Call 313.237.SING or visit michiganopera.org

Horne of M.chigart Opera Theatre
Da,d DiChiera. Geqeral L.rector

Lelli's
of
Auburn Hills

invites you to join us for our new

Sunday Brunch Buffets
12-3 pm

Adults $20.00
Children 7-12 $10.00
Children 6 and under free

Family Owned
Since 1939

885 N. Opdyke, Auburn Hills
(1/2 Mile North of Silverdorne)

Dinner Menu available after 3 p.m.
A great atmosphere for all occasions
including specials events, corporate
dinners, holiday parties and banquets.
Exceptional catering.

248.373.4440

Mon-thurs 11-10 • Fri 11-11 • Saturday 3-11 • Sunday 12-9

November 18 • 2010

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