Praha Paris Barcelona: Photographic Modernity from 1918 to 1948

Examining the revolution in photography that took place across Europe between 1918 and 1945, this enormous and bold survey orients its examination of the era around three cities, each of which served as a nexus for major developments in the medium: Paris, Prague and Barcelona. Until the First World War, photography had largely followed the aesthetics of painting; during and after the war, such movements as Constructivism, Moholy-Nagy’s New Vision and Surrealism led photography to new frontiers, developing techniques and styles that took the medium strictly on its own terms. Demonstrating the interconnectedness of these tendencies, this volume assesses the contributions of each of these cities. Photographers based in Paris during these years include Man Ray, Brassai, Emmanuel Sougez, Hans Bellmer, Jacques-Andre Boiffard, Germaine Krull, Andre Kertesz, Francois Collar, Claude Cahun, Florence Henri, Andreas Feininger, Eli Lotar, Dora Maar, Roger Parry and Raul Ubac; in Prague, Josef Sudek, Frantisek Drtikol, Jaroslav Roessler, Eugen Wiskovsk, Jaromir Funke, Karel Teige, Ladislav Berka, Jan Lauschmann, Josef Bartuska, Jindrich Styrsky and Karel Kasparik; and in Barcelona, Pere Catala Pic, Josep Masana, Josep Sala, Josep Llado, Emili Godes, Antoni Arissa, Gabriel Casas, Salvador Dali and Joaquim Gomis.