Two trademarks that are inherently intertwined: Mack and Leica. So it seems apt that the work of leading photojournalist Ulrich Mack (born 1934) is now presented in a major retrospective at the Leica Gallery Frankfurt. Starting in the sixties, Ulrich Mack travelled the world commissioned by major magazines – always carrying up to six different M models. Each was equipped with a different lens, allowing him to react immediately to any situation. His documentation of John F. Kennedy’s visit to the Federal Republic in 1963 is now among his most well-known series, along with the sensational visual essay on wild horses in Kenya, first published in Willy Fleckhaus’s legendary Twen magazine. Mack’s time as a photojournalist for Quick (from 1963) was followed by a move to Stern, where he remained until 1973. The book Mack. Reporter, published last year, offers a fascinating overview of this decade as a classic photojournalist.
However, there are many more facets to the work of Ulrich Mack. His sensitive observation of landscapes was most recently illustrated in the outstanding photo-book Stille-Weite-Ferne-Nähe. He is an ambitious portrait photographer of artists, politicians and celebrities – and yet he has also created a timeless tribute to the inhabitants of Pellworm and Harkers Island in his long-term projects. In addition, he embraced experiments with instant photography and large-format cameras. It was this great diversity (which further includes his years as a lecturer at Dortmund University) that made it impossible for Ulrich Mack to remain a ‘best-kept secret’ of German photography history.
The comprehensive exhibition at the Leica Gallery Frankfurt is a profound illustration of the different aspects of the photographer’s thematically and stylistically multi-faceted work. Without a doubt, MACK is a world unto himself. Time and again he has reinvented himself, driven by curiosity, openness and empathy, combined with technical perfection and a unique artistic approach. Ulrich Rüter
The retrospective was conceptualised by Ulrich Mack together with Hans-Michael Koetzle. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to purchase signed copies of the book publications Ruhrgebiet (2009), Kennedy in Berlin (2013), Stille – Weite – Ferne – Nähe (2014) and Mack. Reporter (2015).
However, there are many more facets to the work of Ulrich Mack. His sensitive observation of landscapes was most recently illustrated in the outstanding photo-book Stille-Weite-Ferne-Nähe. He is an ambitious portrait photographer of artists, politicians and celebrities – and yet he has also created a timeless tribute to the inhabitants of Pellworm and Harkers Island in his long-term projects. In addition, he embraced experiments with instant photography and large-format cameras. It was this great diversity (which further includes his years as a lecturer at Dortmund University) that made it impossible for Ulrich Mack to remain a ‘best-kept secret’ of German photography history.
The comprehensive exhibition at the Leica Gallery Frankfurt is a profound illustration of the different aspects of the photographer’s thematically and stylistically multi-faceted work. Without a doubt, MACK is a world unto himself. Time and again he has reinvented himself, driven by curiosity, openness and empathy, combined with technical perfection and a unique artistic approach. Ulrich Rüter
The retrospective was conceptualised by Ulrich Mack together with Hans-Michael Koetzle. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to purchase signed copies of the book publications Ruhrgebiet (2009), Kennedy in Berlin (2013), Stille – Weite – Ferne – Nähe (2014) and Mack. Reporter (2015).
John F. Kennedy with Konrad Adenauer, Berlin 1963
Wild horses on Mount Kenya, 1964
Beechwood logs, 1985
Friedensreich (Fritz) Hundertwasser, HfBK Hamburg, 1959
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