Biographie

Gerd Ludwig was born in Alsfeld, Germany, in 1947. Initially he studied German literature, political science, and physical education at the University of Marburg, but interrupted his studies to travel in Scandinavia and North America while supporting himself with jobs as a bricklayer, sailor, gardener, and dishwasher. Gerd later returned to Germany and studied photography for five years with Professor Otto Steinert at the Folkwangschule in Essen, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Photo Design from the University of Essen. He co-founded VISUM, Germany’s first photographer-owned photo agency, the following year. In 1975, he moved to Hamburg and began working for Geo, Stern, Spiegel, Zeit-Magazin, Time, and Life, as well as photographing advertising campaigns.

Gerd re-located to New York 1984 and continued to photograph for major international publications. In the early 1990s, he signed on as a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine, focusing on the social changes in Germany and Eastern Europe. This work resulted in the publication of his book, Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR, a ten-year retrospective published by National Geographic. Gerd is a veteran of the renowned A Day in the Life book series; he exhibits his work in galleries and festivals, such as the Perpignan Visa pour L’Image; occasionally shoots advertising; and has won numerous photographic awards, including the IPA’s 2006 Lucie Award for International Photographer of the Year.

Now based in Los Angeles, Gerd has photographed in over 70 countries across the globe. He continues to lecture at universities and photographic workshops throughout the world and, when not photographing for National Geographic, shoots advertising.

Ausgewählte Einzelaustellungen

2007 "Russia - A World Power In Change"
Volkshochschule Chemnitz: Chemnitz, Germany
2007 "International Photography Awards 2006 Lucie Awards Winners"
Farmani Gallery: Beverly Hills, California USA
2006 "Chernobyl – Living with Disaster" Festival Internazionale della Fotografia Digitale: Lucca, Italy
2006 "The Long Shadow of Chernobyl" Visa pour l'Image: Perpignan, France
2005 "National Geographic: Russland- Eine Weltmacht im Wandel." Volksbank: Lahr, Germany
2005 "Se la Terra diventa l'Inferno - When Earth becomes Hell" Obiettivo Uomo Ambiente/International Biennial of photojournalism, Viterbo, Italy
2004 "National Geographic: Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel." Museum Haus Löwenberg: Gengenbach, Germany
2003 "Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel." VHS photogalerie: Stuttgart, Germany
2003 "Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel." Lichthof im Landeshaus des Landschaftsverbandes Westfalen-Lippe: Münster, Germany
2003 "Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel." Museum der Stadt Berleburg: Berleburg, Germany
2002 "Broken Empire: After the Fall of the Former Soviet Union" Visa pour lÕImage, Perpignan, France
2002 "Broken Empire: After the Fall of the Former Soviet Union" Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2002 "Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel" Haus der Presse, Dresden, Germany
2001 "Russland. Eine Weltmacht im Wandel" Willy-Brandt-Haus: Berlin, and Gruner+Jahr Pressehaus: Hamburg, Germany
2001 "Fotografien: Russland - Nach dem Ende der Sowjetunion/ Auf den Spuren der Brüder Grimm" Hohaus Museum, Lauterbach, Germany
2000 "Tödliche Erblast - Zerstörte Umwelt in der ehemligen Sowjetunion," and "Auf den Spuren der Brüder Grimm" Albert-Schweitzer Gymnasium, Alsfeld, Germany
1999 "Soviet Pollution" NIKON Galerie, Düsseldorf, Germany
1999 "Soviet Pollution" Galerie in der Musikschule/Kunststiftung Poll, Berlin-Mitte, Germany
1998 "Soviet Pollution" Washington Center for Photography, Washington, D.C., USA
1996 "Gerd Ludwig: Toronto- A National Geographic View" Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
1996 "Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R 1992-1994" RAPIC (Russian American Press and Information Center), Moscow, Russia
1996 "Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R 1992-1994" Goethe Institut Moskau, Moscow, Russia
1996 "Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R 1992-1994" FotoCenter Moscow, Moscow, Russia
1995 "Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former Soviet Union" Visa pour l'Image: Perpignan, France
1971 "Ludde Ludwig Fotografien" Buch 2000, Alsfeld, Germany

Ausgewählte Gruppenaustellungen

2007 "Best In Show - 2006 International Photography Awards"
Farmani Gallery: Beverly Hills, California USA
2006 "Tchernobyl 1986 – 2006 - Leben mit einer Tragödie" Galerie des Landratsamtes der Stadt Homburg: Homburg, Germany
2006 "Tschernobyl – Eine Katastrophe und ihre Konsequenzen " Willy-Brandt-Haus: Berlin, Germany
2006 "Land In Translation" The Riverside Art Museum: Riverside, California, USA
2004 "Dietro I'immagine. Ritratti di poverta rurale" (What Meets the Eye: Images of Rural Poverty) Mercati di Traiano, FotoGrafia Festival, Rome, Italy.
2004 "Focus on Nature"/"People-Forests-Development" (The government of Germany, UNDP and the Equator initiative) United Nations, New York, NY.
2003 "What Meets the Eye: Images of Rural Poverty" United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
2003 "Vertigo: Exhibition and Silent Auction" The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA
2003 "A Day in the Life of Africa" Metropolitan Museum of Photography: Tokyo, Japan
2003 "A Day in the Life of Africa" Fnac Forum des Halles: Paris, France
2002 "A Day in the Life of Africa" Grand Central Station: New York, New York, USA
2002 "Brennpunkt Natur" Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung: Berlin, Germany, and Durban, South Africa
2002 "Brennpunkt Natur" G+J Pressehaus: Hamburg, Germany
2001 "Images Beyond the Naked Eye" A WWF Exhibition with 26 international photographic artists concerning climate change. Museum Mensch und Natur Schlo§ Nymphenburg: Munich, and Fotografie Forum international: Frankfurt, Germany.
2000 "Images Beyond the Naked Eye" A WWF Exhibition with 26 international photographic artists concerning climate change. Sanoma House: Helsinki, Finland and Museon: Den Haag, Netherlands
2000 "Photo Expo West: The World is Round 2000" Los Angeles Convention Center and The Perfect Exposure Gallery: Los Angeles, USA
2000 "The Photographs" National GeographicÕs Photography: 111 Years of Adventure and Discovery Hamburg, Munich, Bonn and Berlin, Germany
1998 "Das Bild vom Menschen: Die besten Fotos aus 50 Jahren Stern" Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg: Hamburg, and Photokina Õ98: K?ln, Germany
1995 "It's US: A Celebration of Who We Are in America Today" Washington D.C., USA and 74 public libraries across the United States
1991 "Otto Steinert und Schüler" Galerie der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst: Leipzig, Germany
1990 "Otto Steinert und Schüler" Folkwangmuseum: Essen, Germany
1986 "Art- A Dialogue on Peace" Ohkurayama Memorial Hall: Yokohama, Japan
1983 "FRIEDEN, ein Wort und ... Bilder und ..."Schloss/Kunstverein Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
1980 "Exploration of a Medium: Die Sofortbildfotografie" Rheinisches Landesmuseum: Bonn, Germany
1978 "Reflexions- Young West-German Photographers" Canon Photo Gallery: Amsterdam, Netherlands
1977 "VISUM" Galerie im Riek: Essen-Kettwig, Germany

Sammlungen

Spencer Museum of Art
The University of Kansas: Lawrence, Kansas, USA

F.N.A.C. Funds National dÕArt Contemporain
Permanent Collection, French Ministry of Culture: Paris, France

U.S. Sprint Collection
Overland Park, Kansas, USA

FOTOGRAFISCHE SAMMLUNG
Museum Folkwang: Essen, Germany

Bücher und Kataloge

Broken Empire: After the Fall of the U.S.S.R.
Seoul, Korea: National Geographic Society/YBM Si-sa, 2002. Text by Fen Montainge

Broken Empire: After the Fall of the U.S.S.R.
Washington D.C: National Geographic Society, 2001. Text by Fen Montainge

Russland: Eine Weltmacht im Wandel.
Verlag, Germany: RBA, 2001. Text von Fen Montainge.

Soviet Pollution Exhibition Catalog.
Washington Center for Photography, Washington D.C., USA.
Galerie in der Musikschule/Kunststiftung Poll (Poll Art Foundation), Berlin, Germany. 1998

Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R Exhibition Catalog.
RAPIC (Russian American Press and Information Center), Goethe Institut Moskau, and FotoCenter Moscow, Moscow, Russia. 1996

AO TEA ROA: Island of Lost Desire. Hundertwasser in New Zealand
Hamburg, Germany: Albrecht Knaus Verlag, 1979.

Ehrungen und Auszeichnungen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie (DGPh)
Member of The German Society for Photography.

ADC - Art Directors Club of Germany
Member since 1982.

Canon Explorer of Light
Selected as one of sixty photographers worldwide to be sponsored by Canon.

Kingston Icon of Photography
Member of a selected group of photographers to be sponsored by Kingston Technology.

Preise

The Lucie Award
International Photographer of the Year
2006

International Photography Award
Book Photographer of the Year
2006

Picture of the Year International
Picture Reporting Award of Excellence
2005, 2001, 1998, 1994

Photo District News
Photography Annual
2003, 2002

National Press Photographer's Association
The Best of Photojournalism Award of Merit
2002

Communication Arts
Award of Excellence
2002, 1994

Art Directors Club of Metropolitan
Gold Award of Excellence
1999

Overseas Press Club
Citation for Excellence
1994

World Press Photo
Award of Excellence
1990

Art Directors Club
2nd International Exhibition
Award of Merit
1988

Golden Plume Award of Malta
Journalism Award
1983/84

Art Directors Club, Deutschland
Award of Excellence
1981

Ausgewählte Veröffentlichungen

"Nejsem svatebni fotograf" by Jan Skrivánek, Cook & Design, Czech Republic, Fall 2007

"Gerd Ludwig/Farmani Gallery Review" by Steve Weinstein, Focus Fine Art Photography Magazine, New York, May 2007

"Gerd Ludwig" by Jaroslav Major, FotoVideo, March 2007, Prague, Czechoslovakia

"I'm a photographer, not a cook" Visuell Magazine, Hamburg, Germany, October/November 2006.

"At The Heart Of The Matter" by Maura C. Lanahan, Digital Photo Pro, November/December 2005, Los Angeles, California

"Wer schrieb was? Alsfelder Autorinnen und Autoren vom 16. Jahrhundert bis Ende 2002" Brochure compiled by Karl Brodh?cker. Verlag F. Ehrenklau: Alsfeld, Germany 2003.

"Gerd Ludwig" American Photo on Campus, September 2002

"Gerd Ludwig" PHOTO, Paris, France, September 2002.

"In Focus: Photojournalist Gerd Ludwig Frames a Complex Portrait of Modern Russia" American Photo, New York, New York, May/June 2002.

"Gerd Ludwig" Art Scene Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, February 2002.

"Genauso ist es - Russlandbilder von Gerd Ludwig im Willy Brandt-Haus", Frankfurter Allgenmeine Zeitung/Berliner Seiten, Berlin, Germany, November 1, 2001.

"Im Schutz der Kamera: Fotografen über ihre Lieblingsbilder," Interview MediumMagazine, April 2001, Hamburg, Germany.

"Radioactive Russia" by Joel Newman, Photo District News, October 2000, New York, NY.

"Gerd Ludwig" Poliester Vol. 8, #27, Summer 2000, Mexico.

"Die Kloake einer grossen Utopie," by Stefan Schmitt, TAZ, April 1999, Berlin, Germany.

"Landschaften im Untergang: Fotos von Gerd Ludwig" Der Tagesspiegel, August 3, 1999, Berlin, Germany.

"Beklemmende Zeugnisse eines Zerst?rungsprozesses" Die Welt, February 24, 1999, Berlin, Germany.

"Gerd Ludwig: Soviet Pollution" ART PAPERS magazine, Vol. 23.2. March/April 1999.

"107 Jahre und eine dreissigstel Sekunde," Ein Interview mit Gerd Ludwig und Tom Kennedy, Freelance Magazine, 1996, Hamburg, Germany.

"Gerd Ludwig: Hundertwasser Ao Tea Roa" Professional Camera, 1979, Düsseldorf, Germany.

"Fotogalerie: RRR...Zack! Polaroids von Gerd Ludwig" by Peter Sager ZEIT Magazine, 1979, Hamburg, Germany.

"Das Paradies ist nicht weit. Ein Bildband über den Maler Friedensreich Hundertwasser," Rhein-Zeitung, December 15, 1979, Duesseldorf, Germany.

"Vier Männer sehen die Welt mit Kamera-Augen" WAZ-Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, October, 1978, Essen, Germany.