André Kertész (1894 – 1985) is a Hungarian photographer born in Budapest, Hungary. His interest in photography stemmed from a young age as he was inspired by the german newspaper Die Gartenlaube.
These publications usually contained printed pictures in such detail that fascinated young André Kertész and gave him hope to he will one day also produce such detailed and exquisite photographs. This being said, he got his first camera in 1912 when he was only 18 years old.
In 1914, World War I broke out and Kertész served in the Austro-Hungarian army for some time. During this time, Kertész photographed one of the most influential photographs. This photograph was called Underwater Swimmer and this photo may seem ordinary however, it was the technique of distortion Kertész used which helps him to build metaphorical concepts through photographs. 
After the war, Kertész moved to Paris in 1925, and later to New York in 1936. Throughout this time, he has adventured, explored, and experimented with his photography. Many of his photographs contained distortions, reflections, abstract structures, and shadows. Kertész mainly focused on still-life photography however, he has explored other photographic forms such as portraits and Avant-garde photography. An Avant-garde piece The Broken Plate is a reflection of the cityscape in France through a broken plate.
Due to his influence in the photographic world, Kertész was invited to many art galleries to present his work in countries from France to New York. Although Kertész passed in 1985, his legacies will continue to live on in the photographic world. His techniques and photography styles have influenced many photographers in the coming years such as famous photographers Cartier-Bresson and Brassaï.
Presentation: Andre Kertesz
Resources:
- https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/andr%C3%A9-kert%C3%A9sz?all/all/all/all/0
- https://huxleyparlour.com/artists/andre-kertesz/
- https://www.moma.org/artists/3072
- https://www.filmsnotdead.com/andre-kertesz-truth-and-distortion-atlas-gallery/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/149170564@N07/49744916648
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pike_and_Henry_Street_by_Berenice_Abbott_in_1936.jpg
- https://karmatik.de/andre-kertesz/
- https://iphf.org/inductees/andre-kertesz/
- https://www.theartstory.org/artist/kertesz-andre/#:~:text=Kert%C3%A9sz%20was%20highly%20regarded%20as,into%20something%20ethereal%20and%20poetic.
