BRANDT, Bill (Brandt Bill)

(1904-1983)
In his works noticeable attention to social problems. Scenes of many works Brandt - British life and landscape around his home in London. Among his best known works are also portraits and nude.
Brandt was born May 2, 1904 in London. Because of poor health, was forced to almost all his childhood in Germany and Switzerland. In 1929 he went to Paris and became assistant to the American Surrealist artist and photographer Ray Mann. Under the influence of surrealist films and works of Eugene Atget, Brassaц?, Andrц? Kertц?sz, and he decided to become a photographer. After returning to London in 1931, partly in imitation of a large series of French Atget, Brandt began making documentary photographs, telling about all aspects of British. About 63 photographs of Brandt has been published in journals 'fl Inglish Home' (1936), 'Illustrated Weekly' and 'post Pikcher'. Was followed by other works. In a series of night in London (1938), which is on the theme and style is very close to the album Brassaц? Paris by Night (1933), reveals the diversity of ways of spending time in the city after dark, from a completely innocent to the criminal. In the cycle of Literary Britain (1951) depicted the places connected with the life and works of great English writers.

In 1945, Brandt bought a used camera with wide-angle lens and small aperture, and began to experiment by removing the interiors and nudes. In the new work space and body distorted, acquiring the unusual shape, sometimes resembling surreal photography, Andrц? Kertц?sz 1930, at which the images of naked figures are distorted by curved mirrors. A series of Brandt's photographs was published in the album Perspective naked (1961), as well as in the book Shadow of Light (1966, 2 ed. 1976).

Brandt died in London on 20 December 1983.