We Can’t Paint

© Fred Herzog

Fred Herzog is the type of photographer who is often overlooked when there is a discussion about the Canadian history of photography. German born, Herzog arrived in Canada in 1953 and began to focus his lens on the ordinary and working class. What is particularly interesting about his relative anonymity (recently he has been gaining recognition) is the reaction people have to Herzog’s work. Since almost all of his photos were taken on slide film, usually Kodachrome, they have this overt sense of a suspension of time. Herzog is a photographer who used colour in a time when the conventions of documentary photography favored a stoic presentation of black and white. This also meant that since his work was taken on slide film, Herzog’s ability to exhibit was limited.

I could write a whole book on Herzog’s career and art, but for today, I simply want to introduce you to whom I consider to be one of the greatest photographers that Canada has ever seen. Maybe I’ll do a feature on Herzog…

Here is a selection of his portfolio:

© Fred Herzog

© Fred Herzog

© Fred Herzog

© Fred Herzog

© Fred Herzog

© Fred Herzog

More work here and here.