Ouachita’s department of visual arts will host an exhibit of prints by noted Hungarian American photog- rapher Andrè Kertèsz Sept. 21-Nov. 10. The exhibit will be displayed in the Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery on the first floor of Moses-Provine Hall on Ouachita’s campus, and it is free and open to the public.
Kertèsz, whose work spans sever- al decades, is considered a leader in making street photography an art. He is also widely respected for his revolutionary contributions to photo- journalism and photographic compo- sition. The ability to take the camera out of the studio came into existence just as Kertèsz’s career was beginning and his unique street style set him apart from others in his field.
In 1925, he moved from Hungary to Paris and worked for their first illustrated magazine, VU, gaining
a reputation in the magazine indus- try. In World War II, he moved to the United States where he continued to establish himself through commis- sioned and magazine-related work. Eventually, he returned to the more artistic aspects of photography, earn- ing widespread international recog- nition.
“He was really one of the founders of being able to take the camera out into the street and photograph peo- ple as they live,” said Ferris Williams, OBU assistant professor of visual arts and curator of the exhibit. “I think his eye for composition and for the shot, those fleeting moments, was some- thing that really stood out.”
About 20 numbered prints will be included in the exhibit. The prints are part of a collection donated to Ouachita by the Allen Tillery fami- ly of Hot Springs. This is the second exhibit of works from the collection to be displayed at Ouachita. The col- lection includes pieces from a wide array of art styles and eras and is val-
ued at more than $250,000. “For a school Ouachita’s size and
for a community like Arkadelphia, it is a great thing to have,” Williams said. “You don’t have to go to a large city museum to see art of this caliber, which is nice.”
The department of visual arts uti- lizes the pieces not only for display purposes, but also as educational tools.
“In my case, with these Kertèsz prints, I definitely plan on discuss-
ing things like composition because he is just such an amazing photog- rapher when it comes to composing and finding the moment, this myste- rious moment,” Williams said. “I can also even talk about printmaking. It’s definitely valuable to have access to that.”
Regular exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, you can contact Ferris Williams at williamsf@obu. edu.
