Bill Brandt

Bill Brandt (Hermann Wilhelm Brandt). Born 2nd May 1904, died 20th December 1983.

Brandt is considered by many to be the most important British photographer of the 20th century. This surely should be extended to present day, given his contribution to the observations of the British people throughout his lifetime. He disowned his German heritage in the earlier years of his life (due by and large to the treatment of his Father at the hands of the Nazi’s), and eventually moved to London (via Switzerland) in 1933.

During the following four years Brandt published what are arguably his two most famous books, ‘The English at Home’ and ‘A Night in London’. Both books documented the British way of life at the time, and crossed all levels of society (Unusual in Britain, but reminiscent of what Hungarian born Brassai (Gyula Halász) was doing at a similar time in Paris).

In 1945, to celebrate the end of World War 11, he undertook a series of nudes. It is this work which is pertinent to Exercise 4.5. His use of fast film, high contrast, shallow DoF. and a wide angle lens all add up to Brandt’s distinctive style of work within the nude genre.

Image result for brandt nudes 1945 1    2

Image result for brandt nudes 3   Image result for brandt nudes 4

These four images typify Brandts nude studies. Using a combination of the above mentioned, Brandt is able to create an (at the time) unique take on the female form. Despite the lens distortion and high contrast, Brandt is still able to convey the beauty and soft flowing lines perfectly. Any one of the techniques that he combines so skillfully could so easily be taken a fraction too far and all would be lost and something more grotesque created.

References:

  1. Brandt, B. 1982 Nudes 1945-1980, London, Gordon Fraser. image 97 (Baie des Anges, Nice, France, 1959)chapter 6.
  2. Brandt, B. 1982 Nudes 1945-1980, London, Gordon Fraser. image 51 (Nude East Sussex 1959) chapter 3.
  3. Brandt, B. 1982 Nudes 1945-1980, London, Gordon Fraser. image 8 (Nude Belgravia,1951) chapter 1.
  4. Brandt, B. 1982 Nudes 1945-1980, London, Gordon Fraser. image 40 (Nude, East Sussex Coast.1960, August) chapter 3