Obituary: Ulrich Mack

Mack. Four simple letters and a full stop. Short, to the point, straightforward: his trademark. If you only knew the photographer fleetingly, his directness may have felt intimidating; getting to know him better, you would soon find that his rough tone veiled a caring and open personality. You could talk to him for hours: about pictures, photojournalism – of which he experienced what is often considered its “Golden Age” –, but, most importantly about his own work. Ulrich Mack wore many hats: he was a dedicated photojournalist, passionate professor, an empathic portrait and landscape photographer, and a story-teller. He was also a good listener.

Born in Glasehausen (Thuringia) on July 19, 1934, Ulrich was the sixth of nine children, growing up in Thorn, West Prussia, until the escape to Lower Saxony. He earned his first wages as a miner in the Ruhr district, from 1953 to 1955, before beginning studies at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, in 1956. His eye for design, feel for interesting shapes and use of the whole surface in each picture, were to become the typical characteristics of the photography he ultimately opted for. His professional career began at the editorial office of Quick magazine in Munich.

Mack's growing success was matched by a growing collection of equipment, including no less than six Leicas he acquired early on in his career. The first highlight of his professional life was his coverage of President Kennedy’s visit to Germany in June of 1963. He finally gained international recognition with his reportage on wild horses in Africa, which was published several times, including in the legendary magazine, Twen. The series earned him the renowned World Press Photo Award in 1964 – and in no less than four categories! The endeavour itself was life-threatening, but the entire story of how it was created speaks of courage and chutzpah, and of the necessary pinch of good fortune that made many of his stories possible in the first place. In 1967 he switched to Stern magazine in Hamburg, and was considered among Germany’s most important photojournalists at the time. He began working as a freelance photographer in 1973, and a year later took on a job teaching at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund, though Hamburg remained his family hub. He retained his Professorship in Visual Communication until his retirement in 1999. Mack shaped many generations of students, also as the initiator of the Summer Academy at the Abbaye du Gard in Amiens, France, and as a frequent guest lecturer in Boston.

Long-term projects were to become increasingly important to Mack: such as the one dedicated to the island of Pellworm, another about the people of the historic fishing village of Holm in Schleswig, or his quiet landscape series, which he published in numerous photo books. With their sensitivity and the pictorial consistency of the landscapes, the Stille, Weite, Ferne, Nähe (Silence, vastness, distance, closeness) cycle in colour, and the Zen cycle in black and white, represent an impressive counterweight to his reportage work.
Mack passed away on April 1, 2024, after years of illness. His critical eye and thoughtful commentary will be missed. His rich and complex body of work will continue to offer us surprising insights and discoveries.