From the raging battlefield to the New York skyline, André Kertész’s influential career in photography developed all over.

This skilled artist’s astonishing images are on display at the Winnipeg Art Gallery now through Sept. 9 in an exhibition called Shadow Marks.

This one-room display features 35 of Kertész’s best photos, some of them never before seen by Winnipeg’s public eye.

Tying each piece together in the WAG’s current exhibition of Kertész’s work are the dark shadows that dance across his art, hence the name of the exhibition.

It highlights photos of everyday objects, some from Paris, Tokyo and New York, while also showcasing human subjects, including a couple of Kertész’s self-portraits.

Kertész made his debut as an artist in a very unconventional way.

“ Working in black and white, Kertesz masters light, dark, contrast and shadow. He brings life and movement to the photos he takes.

A native Hungarian and born in Budapest, he was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army in 1914.

Along with his army-issued gear, Kertész brought a camera to war and began snapping photos of soldiers.

His talent brought him a career in picture taking and he later came to call Paris, followed by New York, home.

This artist’s product first started showing up on postcards until he moved on to work for big-city European magazines and eventually toured the world showcasing his art in prestigious galleries from London to Stockholm to Tokyo to Budapest.   

Working in black and white, Kertész masters light, dark, contrast and shadow.

He brings life and movement to the photos he takes. His subjects are seemingly insignificant objects and non-descript, normal people, but Kertész draws beauty and magnificence from them.

The exhibition is stirring as well as interesting. Kertész’s ability to evoke something as exquisite as his photos from simple everyday articles has never been showcased quite like this.     

André Kertész: Shadow Marks runs at the Winnipeg Art Gallery until Friday, Sept. 9.

Published in Volume 65, Number 22 of The Uniter (March 10, 2011)