Alise Tifentale, “The Long Road Up Against the Stream” (Tālais ceļš augšup pret straumi). [Book review of: Katrīna Teivāne. Roberts Johansons. Zeitgeist and Photography (Roberts Johansons. Laikmets un fotogrāfija) Riga: Neputns, 2022.]
Book review published in: Art History and Theory (Mākslas vēsture un teorija) 27 (2023): 87-89.
Download the book review PDF here (Latvian only)!
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the latest book by my dear friend Katrīna Teivāne, titled Roberts Johansons. Zeitgeist and Photography (Roberts Johansons. Laikmets un fotogrāfija) (Riga: Neputns, 2022). It is an extremely well-researched and elegantly written monograph about one of the most important photographers in Latvia, Roberts Johansons (1877-1959).
The book is available at the publisher’s website, https://www.neputns.lv/products/laikmets-un-fotografija-roberts-johansons, as well as in the ISSP online store https://shop.issp.lv/products/roberts-johansons-age-and-photography
Short description of the book from the ISSP website:
Roberts Johansons in Katrīna Teivāne's research reveals as one of the most visible Latvian photographers, whose most active period of activity refers to the period from the 20th century until the beginning of the Second World War. Johansons was a member of the Latvian Photographic Society and later also of the Photographic Society, having spent most of his professional life as a salon photographer. In parallel with his daily work, he devoted himself to the creation of artistic images and meticulous documentation of the Latvian environment.
The review was commissioned by the main art history journal in Latvia, Mākslas Vēsture un Teorija, and is published in the journal’s vol. 27 (2023).
Find out more about the journal Mākslas Vēsture un Teorija, vol. 27 (2023).
Photos from the book opening at the National Library of Latvia in Riga, May 2022.
Katrīna Teivāne (on the right) and myself at the opening of the book in May 2022.
The following two images are from the Facebook album of the book publisher Neputns (more photos here).
The author of the book, Katrīna Teivāne (left) and myself (right).
I had the honor to congratulate Katrīna and say a few words about the book as well as some of the difficulties and challenges of researching and writing photography histories.