Hein Gravenhorst

Generative Photography (1964 - 1968)

Hein Gravenhorst

The ‘Photomechanical Transformations’ of Hein Gravenhorst have been lying dormant for half a century and are presented here for the first time to the general public.

They constitute an aesthetic programme that privileges the formal qualities of photography over its depictive and representational qualities; and they rank among the key works of Generative Photography, a movement of the 1960s that introduced into the history of photography the algorithmic programme and a strictly methodical-serial conception of the image. Their geometric clarity and transparency set a historical milestone.

They are unique works based on analogue multiple exposures on photochemical supports in colour and in black and white. Hein Gravenhorst, together with Gottfried Jäger, Pierre Cordier, and Kilian Breier, is an exponent and main representative of this style.

Samples from various work cycles of this period, including rare unique pieces and vintage prints, are presented alongside new editions of the works, which were created in cooperation with Photo Edition Berlin in 2016.