Paris Autumn 1963 by Andre Kertesz

Let me start by stating that as a whole I have a moral dilemma with books published in this format. Paris Autumn 1963, was a book originally constructed by Kertesz as a collection of his work made over the span of one year. For Kertesz a book of this nature comprised of photographs over such a short period of time is very unique to the artists traditional method of assemblage. Kertesz at the time of this construction was gloating on the height of his career, winning numerous awards, just finishing a show at MoMa and widely considered one of the greatest photographers of his time. Yet this book was not published until 2013. The book’s format has been slightly changed, the images digitalised and perfected for print without the consent of the artist. It is a book made solely for the profit of publishers and in no way does the artist justice. It is an unfortunate display of greed we have become all too familiar with.The images themselves are a masterful display of Kertesz as a photographer. The images lay next to one another and engage in a dialogue amongst themselves. They are captivating and live up to the expectation one would expect from a body of work by Kertesz. The photographs themselves appear in a strange format. The verticals appear full bleed while horizontals leave awkward white margins above and below the image. This layout is much different than that assembled by the artist who had placed his mockup on blueprint paper. Sporadically placed throughout the book are images that are displayed as a full spread, this presentation while one can hope was a decision made by the artist in the original mockup, is a little confusing with the diptych dialogue consistent throughout the rest of the book.
While Paris Autumn 1963 is a beautiful example of the genius behind Kertesz, it is unfortunate that this publication has become so transformed from the artist’s original intent and remains as a an example of Publishers pushing books that they know will sell.
By Connor Wray