André Kertész “The Polaroids” is, perhaps, the best photo book I have ever purchased, deserving of nothing less than a feature review here at Photography 24/7.

It might be small in format (measuring just 7.2 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches) but it is huge on emotion! I cannot remember any other photo book that have moved me as much as this one. It is simply deeply touching.

Robert Gurbo, curator of the Estate of André Kertész, introduces us to The Polaroids by chronicling André Kertész’ life and his somewhat troubled carreer in a brilliant and interesting fashion. This introduction takes up the first 28 pages of the total 128 pages, the rest is filled with Kertész’ “poignant, beautiful and sometimes haunting photographs.”

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

It’s a hardcover book with a jacket and the inside of the ‘jacket’ begins as follows:

“Emotionally and physically exchausted after the loss of Elizabeth, his wife and lifelong companion, André Kertész was admittedly a broken man who had lost his direction. His remarkable recovery began when he was inspired by a small glass bust and he embraced the new Polaroid SX-70.”

This sets the stage for the book and for the beautiful and often moving images, all of which were made in Kertész’ apartment, just north of New York City’s Washington Square. Many of the photographs were shot either from his window or in the windowsill.

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

It’s truly inspiring to think about how Kertész, in his 80s, could muster the strength and inspiration to create such a significant body of work after having been ill himself and after having lost his wife of 58 years to lung cancer. As he started working with the Polaroid SX-70 “he was on fire, delighted once again to be in a heightened state of creative awareness.”

“I began shooting slowly, slowly, slowly. But soon, going crazy. I worked mornings and late afternoons. With the morning light the sky is nice, and in the late afternoon, full of variation. I would come out in the morning and shooting, shooting, shooting; no time to eat. I discover the time has gone, and now breakfast. The same in the afternoon… I forget my medicine, losing pain, losing hunger, and yes losing sadness.”

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

The image above is a third interpretation of what was originally his 1933 wedding photo. However in the 1960s Kertész severely cropped the original version to only include Elizabeth’s face and his hand on her shoulder. He claimed the sixties crop was a visual metaphor for the Hungarian saying “my better half.” In the Polaroid version above titled “January 1981″ Kertész returned to this image one last time and created a still life in which he placed a crown of thorns over his own hand.

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

There is a strong sense of personal loss, grief and longing in many of Kertész’ images in The Polariods which is what makes it such a deeply moving book. There is a new movie out these days about the boxer Mike Tyson’s life where many of the movie reviews open with the line “when a troubled champion is brave enough to bare all, an American epic is born.” Well, in The Polaroids André Kertész bares it all which has resulted in an epic photo book.

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

The Polaroids is also a striking study in still lifes by one of the great masters of 20th century photography. André Kertész was excellent at still life photography and perhaps one of his most famous pictures is a black and white photograph of a fork resting on a white plate in a fairly tight crop.

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

The book also includes some excellent studies of New York City in winter, including a few photographs where the Twin Towers appear as a subject and therefore become examples of how historical photographs can take on new meanings over time, with completely different emotions attached to them.

© Estate of André Kertész/Higher Pictures

André Kertész was a brilliant photographer and The Polaroids is more evidence of his abilities. The book is filled with amazing photographs through which Kertész reveal a lot of himself to us. Who would have known that the simple study of form and shapes could convey such emotion. The photographs are not only beautifully arranged and injected with lots of emotion, they also display a masters delicate appreciation of light and color.

If you have any interest in the history of photography or still life photography – or I’m inclined to say any interest in photography in general – well then The Polaroids is a must buy. I’m sure you will enjoy it.

All images above are published with the kind and generous permission from the Estate of André Kertész and Higher Pictures.

You may also wish to consider other books about André Kertész such as: Photofile: André Kertész and On Reading.

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