Thomas Bak

A Selection of Photographic Plates by Thomas Bak. The Photographic Capriccio. (1998–2008)

Thomas Tadeus Bak is a German visual artist, art director, writer and composer, mainly known for his work in photography.

Biography

Atavista, German/French Monograph about Thomas Bak. (2006)

Bak was born the son of immigrants from Szczecin, Northern Poland.^[1] He was entitled as "Germany’s Youngest Draughtsman"^[2] at the age of eleven due to his first publication in a German graphic magazine for mature readers and elected twice as the "Official Graphic Designer of the Hochschule fuer Kuenste Bremen" during his studies of Book/Graphic Design and Photography at this university.^[3] Bak worked as an art director in European design studios and advertising agencies before he began to lecture the Photographic Master Class of the IAA^[4] (International Academy of Arts) at the age of twenty-seven in Germany, France and Poland. His works are featured in various releases for the music industry,^[5] including publications of former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy and Dalis Car. He was the youngest photographer ever decorated with the Reinhart-Wolf-Preis and the BFF (Bund Freischaffender Foto-Designer) as the "Best of the Best" in 2004.^[6]

Bibliography

Primary Literature (Books by Bak)

• Ene Mene Mysterium. Eine Sechspostkartennovelle. (1993)
• Den Hænden nach ein Hundt. (1995)
• AThMN. An Act of Tarot. (1995)
• Vropa. 22 Photographies. (1996)
• BVCH DER VVAND=LVNGEN & VVIRBEL=SÆVREN. Fynff=Zehn Blætter ihrer Længe nach betichtet. (1998)
• V.R.Op.A. : C I — IV. (1999)
• COSMONAVCIONES et Polaroïdes. (1999)
• Hand= bzw. Flusz=Abdrykke; Zwölf Absichten bald "Cosmonauciones" tätoliert. (2000)
• Atavista : 33 Photographic Compositions. (2000)
• Arche Nada; Yber dem Vm=Gang mit Todtem. Allsoh : "Gryner Fuchs" tætolirt. (2001)
• Vff=Tact zum Eiligen Kriege; Polaroïden & Tincturen. (Allrot, 2002)
• Fynff Tincturen. (Pan Press, 2002)
• The Tourist, Plates I — XXXV. (2006)
• Ex Ceterra Incognita, Capricci Erotici e Verticale. (2008)
• The Tourist, Plates XXXVI — LXXX. (2012)
• Ornament City, Essays & Capricci. (TK Verlag Hamburg, 2012)
• Psylens. (Pan Press / S.Ph.In.X. Camera Obscura International, 2013)
• On Love considered as one of the Fine Arts. Essays & Essails by Bak (TK Verlag Hamburg, 2014)
• Les Chants de Marlboror / AFFORISMEN IN SPE (Pan Press, 2015)

Secondary Literature (Selection)

• Inferso. KUBO Art Award 2000, Xzeit Edition Berlin (ISBN 3980755509)
• Manfred Schmalriede, Norbert Waning: Reinhart-Wolf-Preis 2004
• Bund freischaffender Fotodesigner: Das BFF-Jahrbuch 2005 (ISBN 3933989256)
• Peter Rautmann, Jörn Christiansen: Vier Jahrzehnte Fotografie in Bremen. Focke-Museum, 2003 (ISBN 3897571609)
• Ein tierisches Vergnuegen. Kunstsammlung der Sparkasse Bremen / Edition Hachmann, 2006 (ISBN 9783939429234)
• ATAVISTA. L'Œuvre Photographique du Thomas Bak. 2006 (Cannes, France)
• Gemeinsam, aber getrennt. 2008 (Gesellschaft "Forum e.V." zur Foerderung der Polnischen Kultur, Ministry of Culture and Communication Germany)
• BAK = ATAVISTA. The Photographic Works of Thomas Tadeus Bak. Second Edition, 2008 (IAA Publications, St.Magnus)
• Bak — The Photographic Capriccio. Sheets from 1998 to 2008 (Galerie Hilaneh von Kories / Photoselection GmbH)
• TAZ / Die Tageszeitung, 1990 (newspaper interview in German)
• Profifoto #2, 2005 (interview in German, 8 pages)
• Zoo Magazine #20, edited by Bryan Adams. 2008 (interview & retrospective in English, 8 pages)
• Profifoto #10, 2008 (retrospective in German, 6 pages)
• Schwarzweiss #87, Das Magazin fuer Fotografie. 2012 (retrospective 2008 — 2012 in German, 8 pages)
• Alambic Parisienne #2, 2013 (interview in French; featuring current works, 8 pages)

Exhibition History (Selection)

• 1999 "Three Positions of Contemporary Photography" at the Profile Intermedia 02, Congress Center Bremen, Germany
• "AThMN," Media Center Bremen
• 2000 "Inferso," Municipal Gallery (Bremen) & "Inferso," Kulturbrauerei GmbH (Berlin, Germany)
• 2001 "Paradogs," Profile Intermedia 04 (Bremen)
• 2002 "Four Decades of Photography in Bremen," Museum for the State’s History
• 2004 "A=N," photokina (Cologne, Germany)
• "A=N," Design Center (Stuttgart, Germany)
• "AThMN/Metamorphoses," Institut Français & Goethe-Institut Budapest (Hungary)
• 2005 "V.R.Op.A." at the headquarters of the Tokyo Journal (Japan)
• Gallery B (Nagoya, Japan)
• 2006 "Ein tierisches Vergnügen," Sparkasse Bremen
• Retrospective "Atavista" at the gallery Marc Piano (Cannes, France)
• Retrospective "Atavista" at the International Academy of Arts (Lesmona, Germany)
• 2008 Retrospective "Das Photographische Capriccio. Blätter aus den Jahren 1998 bis 2008" at Galerie Hilaneh von Kories / Photoselection GmbH (Hamburg, Germany)

Movies

• 1993 : Incubus (22 min.)
• 1999 : Χάλκανθον ~ SECRET FIGVRES VVRITTEN ON VVATER (8 min.)
• 2005 : Atavista (40 min.)
• 2008 : Edgar Alien Poe (28 min.)
• 2012 : Rainbows On Fire (4 min.)
• 2013 : L’OVE is the LAVVN / Love is the Lawn, MMXIII (6 min.)

References

1. http://www.kunstforum-online.net/kuenstler.asp?session=&pid=6254&Name=Thomas%20Bak
2. TAZ / Die Tageszeitung, 1990 (newspaper interview)
3. http://d-nb.info/971166269/about/html
4. http://www.academy-of-art.com/neu/D-Kreative-Kurse-Fotografie.htm
5. http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/credits/thomas-tadeus-bak/8994
6. Manfred Schmalriede, Norbert Waning: Reinhart-Wolf-Preis 2004 (ISBN 3933989256)

External links

• http://www.galeriehilanehvonkories.de/en/bak/the-photographic-capriccio/
• http://www.kunstmarkt.com/pagesmag/kunst/_id68645-/marktberichte_grossbildansicht.html
• http://www.discogs.com/artist/Thomas+Tadeus+Bak