Klaus Honnef Knihy

Pop-art, vzniklý v polovině padesátých let dvacátého století v Anglii a naplno rozvinutý ve Spojených státech šedesátých let nahrajuze všednost nádherou; předměty hromadné výroby nabývají stejné důležitosti jako individuální kusy; smazán je rozdíl mezi vysokou a lidovou kulturou. Pop-art svým vlastním vtipným způsobem oslavuje konzumní společnost a k jeho oblíbeným zdrojům patří média a reklama. Nadšení, jež vyvolal ve chvíli, kdy byla vystavena první díla, nikdy nezesláblo - a dnes je větší než kdykoli předtím.

"Andy Warhol. Už počas svojho života sa stal legendou. Sotva nájdete niekoho iného, o kom sa napísalo toľko ako práve o Warholovi. Na verejnosti vždy pôsobil dojmom, akoby pochádzal z inej planéty. Bol plachý a vľúdny, väčšinou usmievavý a vždy trocha duchom neprítomny. Napriek tomu stelesňoval hviezdu nového typu naprosto dokonale. Povolaním reklamný grafik, pokladal sa však za umelca a ako umelec vytvoril úplne nový typ, ktorý iritoval umelecký svet, otriasol ním a prispel k jeho premene. Naša monografia malého formátu v mäkkej väzbe prináša prehľad života a diela ""komerčného umelca"" - ako sa sám nazval - Andyho Warhola."

Andy Warhol je hlavný predstaviteľ popartového hnutia. Ako kreatívny a kritický pozorovateľ americkej spoločnosti dokázal stvárniť aktuálne témy, ako sú spotreba, materializmus, médiá a celebrity. Venoval sa reklame, komiksom, potlači predmetov bežnej spotreby, portrétoval najslávnejšie tváre Hollywoodu, a tým všetkým prispel k radikálnemu prehodnoteniu toho, čo je a čo nie je umelecké dielo. Práve vďaka Warholovi sa plechovka Campbellovej polievky a fľaša Coca-Coly stali objektami s rovnakou umeleckou hodnotou ako predmety na klasických zátišiach. Spolu s tým Warhol radikálne zmenil vnímanie samotného umelca. Svojou slávnou vetou „chcem byť stroj“ dal najavo opovrhnutie voči konceptu autorstva. Pracoval metódami masovej produkcie, mal desiatky asistentov a svoje štúdio rád nazýval fabrikou. Táto kniha prináša pohľad do Warholovho rozsiahleho a pestrofarebného životného diela, ktoré do umenia vnieslo témy ako bývanie, výroba a konzum, a tak úplne prehodnotilo vnímanie „vysokého“ a „nízkeho“ umenia.

Melanie Manchot uses photography to challenge socially and culturally constructed ideas about beauty, aging, sexuality, and fantasy. Her photo-text series of kissing couples explores the notions of intimacy and personal space, and the accompanying lines relating people's fantasies add to the subtle humor and tension of the photographs. Manchot's best-known series of nude photographs of her mother is considered beautiful by some and unsettling by others. Her images can be disturbing but are equally gentle and affectionate.

Martin Munkacsi, a celebrated fashion photographer born in Hungary in 1896, made significant contributions to photography during his time in Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s before immigrating to New York City in 1934. As one of the highest-paid photographers of his era, he profoundly influenced contemporaries like Richard Avedon. Despite his impact, Munkacsi's work fell out of favor by the time of his death in 1963. Recently, he has gained recognition as a pivotal figure in 20th-century photography, credited with shaping modern photojournalism by merging factual accuracy with a formal aesthetic. A key proponent of the 'Neues Sehen' (New Way of Seeing), Munkacsi's groundbreaking fashion and sports photography remains unmatched. Much of his work has been scattered and lost over the years, though the Ullstein Archive in Berlin houses a significant collection from his time in Hungary and Germany. This compilation assembles Munkacsi's images like never before, showcasing photographs from various artistic phases, including many that have not been seen since their original magazine publications. Featuring 318 tritones, it provides a valuable glimpse into the complex beginnings of photography during a transformative era.

It was no more than 8 years after the surrender of the Nazi government when Josef Heinrich Darchinger set out on his photographic journey through the west of a divided Germany. The photographs portray a country caught between the opposite poles of technological modernism and cultural restoration, between affluence and penury. They show the winners and the losers of the 'economic miracle'.

Since 2004, Swiss photographer Bernd Nicolaisen (born 1959) has been consistently drawn to Iceland, the land of glaciers and geysers. Equipped with a large-format camera, he ventures into glacial caves in search of spectacular images, as shown in this publication.

Meet Gerhard Richter, the German artist who redefined painting. Between abstract works and photography-based paintings, Richter pushes the medium's boundaries and reminds us of its urgency and importance in a world overwhelmed by digital images. This introduction to one of the greatest artists of our time explores his entire career.

Pop artists of the 1960s, heralded by the Great Andy Warhol, commented on everything from mainstream media to consumer society to advertising to product packaging with colorful and often comical works. Pop Art's profound influence on contemporary art and culture remains prominent today. Nowhere else can you find so much Pop Art in such a compact, stylish book!