Exhibition # 2 - "Rivad. Grand Old Man of Danish Photography", June 20 - August 23, 2009
18/05/09
VIGGO RIVADFødt/Born 3. juli 1922 i København
Priser - Awards
Præmieret for förste gang i 1948.
Modtog som den første danske fotograf Statens 3-årige arbejdslegat. Er siden 1999 på Finansloven.
Har bl a modtaget Kunstakademiets Bindesbøll-medalje, Henry Heerups Ærespris 2 gange, LO-prisen samt Palle Fogtdals Ærespris.
Bøger med Rivads fotografier - Photo books
• 8 Skildringer, 1975
• Mexikansk Hverdag, 1978
• Venezia, 1980
• SET 1948-1994, 1994
• Amra, 1997
• Viggo Rivad i Sundby, 1999
• Vennerne i Aswan, 2000
• 101 Danske Billedkunstnere, 2004
• Kærlighed, 2004
• Mennesket. Rivads billeder i Kastrup Lufthavn, 2008
Bøger om Rivad - Books about Rivad
• Lars Schwander, Viggo Rivad, 2000
• Carlo Pedersen, Fotografen Viggo Rivad, 2008
Udsmykninger - Public decorations
• Københavns Hovedbanegård, billetsalget
• Kastrup Lufthavn, hovedperronen, 1999 och 2007-2008
• 5-krones frimærket med trappen fra Cuba, 2008
Fotoserier fra - Photo Series from
Spanien, Marokko, Israel, Mexico, Venedig, Sahara, Sovjetunionen, Auschwitz, Kina, Yemen, Centralasien, Venezuela, Etiopien, Tunis, Egypten, Vietnm, Laos, Cuka og naturligvis Danmark.
Rivad har levet for, men ikke af, sin kunst. Han har kørt taxa i alle år, sparet sammen og så gjort lange rejser til de mange lande. Han har i umindelige tider boet i en beskeden lejlighed på Amager; køkkenet har været hans mørkekammer, på bagtrappedøren monteredes forstørrelsesapparatet og billederne dukkede frem i vasken.
Vi rejste rundt i Kina sammen i 1983. Jeg har lært meget af ham dér og sidenhen fundet megen inspiration - hvilket han sikkert vil slå hen - og er særdeles glad for vort lange venskab og hans lune humor; han er desuden en fremragende historiefortæller. Det er menneskene uden tekniske dikkedarer, der er i fokus.
Jeg tror faktisk Viggo Rivad har betydet mere for fotokunsten i Danmark end de fleste - idag meget yngre - er klar over. Hvis det ikke var for hans beskedenhed og det forhold at der ikke er nogen der har påtaget sig arbejdet med at gøre ham kendt ude i verden, så ville han i dag givetvis være kendt og anerkendt langt uden for Danmark.
Der er i hovedsagen 2 hjemmesider
a) Photomondo.dk med Rivads billeder samt
b) En serie billeder jeg har taget af Viggo i hans hjem.
Det føles godt at vide at han for nylig har doneret sin enorme produktion til Det Kongelige Bibliotek (Den Sorte Diamant) og til Museet for Fotokunst på Brandts Klædefabrik i Odense, byen der associeres med en anden stor dansker.
• • •
Viggo Rivad (born July 3, 1922) and I got to know each other during a trip to China in 1983. It is a tremendous joy and honour for me that he immediately accepted to show a small selection of his huge production in my gallery. Although he is too humble to accept it, I have learned so much and been inspired over the years by his art and generous friendship - like so many others.
Above you'll get an impression of his remarkable achievements - the finest awards in Denmark, the books by and about him, the numerous travels and productions around the world.
Viggo Rivad, this Grand Old Man of his trade, has never lived from his photography; he has lived for it. For decades he has been a taxi driver; when he has accumulated enough he has left for some faraway country for months and returned with his master pieces.
His dark room has always been the kitchen in his 2-room flat at Amager, Copenhagen. He mounted the magnifier on the back of the kitchen door and the pictures were developed in the sink. That's Viggo Rivad, the genuine man and the professional in one. His passion for human beings, often the marginalised ones, have always shown through his pictures.
I believe that Viggo Rivad has done more for Danish photography than most of the younger generations are aware of. Were it not for his humility and the fact that no one has taken it upon them to help promote him, I am not in doubt that he would be well-known and honoured internationally.
There are basically 2 websites that honour Viggo Rivad
a) Photomondo.dk with many series of Rivads potographic works and
b) A series of picture of Viggo that I have taken in his home.
It feels good to know that Rivad has donated almost all his lifelong production to the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen and to the National Museum of Photographic Art in Odense - the town associated with another great Dane, H. C. Andersen.
Jan Øberg