Jesper Høm
Encyclopedia
Ib Jesper Brieghel Høm was a Danish photographer and film director. After opening his own studio in Copenhagen
, he travelled widely, finally working for Agence VISA in Paris
. Jesper Høm was a co-founder of Copenhagen's Delta Photos, an organization designed to inspire and assist press photographers. Most of the remainder of his career was devoted to film, where he participated in the making of several Danish films as cinematographer, script-writer or director.
and Kirsten Mariane Henriksen who were both artists. From 1948 to 1950, he received training in photography at Gutenberghus
, a magazine publisher in Copenhagen, after which he spent a year working as a fashion photographer for Jardin des Modes in Paris
.
The year he spent in Paris had introduced Jesper Høm to the most advanced photography of the times, not least the work of the American-born photographer William Klein
who excelled in expressiveness and appreciation of the decisive moment. Høm was quick to take up these new ideas, adapting them to his own style and promoting photography as an art.
From 1955 to 1959, he ran his own studio in Copenhagen
concentrating on architectural and design photography. He then went to San Francisco where he worked for Weiner & Gossage, an advertising agency. As a freelance, he worked in New York
and for an extended period in Ireland
. He then spent three years working for Agence VISA in Paris
with assignments in England
, Spain
, France
, Italy
and the Soviet Union
. His photographs were published by Stern
and Paris Match
, culminating in his book "Meet the Danes" in 1964.
Taking the French-based international photographic bureau Magnum
as a model, together with Gregers Nielsen and others he set up Delta Photos in 1964. The organization was designed to support press photography in Denmark.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, he travelled widely, finally working for Agence VISA in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Jesper Høm was a co-founder of Copenhagen's Delta Photos, an organization designed to inspire and assist press photographers. Most of the remainder of his career was devoted to film, where he participated in the making of several Danish films as cinematographer, script-writer or director.
Still photography
Jesper Høm was the son of Paul Brieghel HømPaul Høm
Paul Briegel Høm was a Danish artist who is remembered for his religious paintings and brightly coloured stained glass windows which decorate a number of Danish churches.-Biography:...
and Kirsten Mariane Henriksen who were both artists. From 1948 to 1950, he received training in photography at Gutenberghus
Egmont Publishing
The Egmont Group is a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally....
, a magazine publisher in Copenhagen, after which he spent a year working as a fashion photographer for Jardin des Modes in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The year he spent in Paris had introduced Jesper Høm to the most advanced photography of the times, not least the work of the American-born photographer William Klein
William Klein
William Klein is a photographer and filmmaker noted to for his ironic approach to both media and his extensive use of unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography...
who excelled in expressiveness and appreciation of the decisive moment. Høm was quick to take up these new ideas, adapting them to his own style and promoting photography as an art.
From 1955 to 1959, he ran his own studio in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
concentrating on architectural and design photography. He then went to San Francisco where he worked for Weiner & Gossage, an advertising agency. As a freelance, he worked in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and for an extended period in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He then spent three years working for Agence VISA in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with assignments in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. His photographs were published by Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
and Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
, culminating in his book "Meet the Danes" in 1964.
Taking the French-based international photographic bureau Magnum
Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
as a model, together with Gregers Nielsen and others he set up Delta Photos in 1964. The organization was designed to support press photography in Denmark.
Cinema
Høm began as a film photographer in Astrid Henning-Jensen's film "Min bedstefar er en stok" followed by the children's film "Thomas er fredløs" and several others. The one film he actually directed was "Smil Emil" in 1969, which became an award-winning success. In 1973, together with his wife Elsebeth Reingaard, he opened the Delta Art Cinema which later became known as the Delta Bio. The venture had a very positive effect on speading interest in good film-making in Denmark. However, as a result of financial difficulties, he gave up his job as cinema manager in 1979. In 1985, he was one of the founders of the Danish-Swedish photography agency Billedhuset. In 1986, he return to film-making with the successful "Take It Easy" in which Eddie Skoller played the role of jazz musician Leo Mathisen.Exhibitions, works and awards
Jesper Høm has exhibited widely, written several books and participated in a number of films:Exhibitions
- Louisiana, Humlebæk, 1959
- Danish Museum of Art & Design, 1963
- Landesbildstelle, HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, 1964 - Meet the Danes, 1964 New York World's Fair1964 New York World's FairThe 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
, 1964–65 - Kunstpavillion, EsbjergEsbjergEsbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
, 1982 - Joy of Timing, Forte dei MarmiForte dei MarmiForte dei Marmi is a sea town and comune in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany . It is the birthplace of Paola Ruffo di Calabria, Queen of the Belgians....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1982 - Nye farvefotografier, Galleri Asbæk, Copenhagen, 1982
- Galleri Image, Århus, 1983
- Irske billeder, Louisiana, 1986
Books
- Say Cheese...and Cry, 1959
- Sådan er Danmark, sådan da (photos Jesper Høm and Bror Bernild, commentary Henning Nystad), 1961
- Meet the Danes, 1964
- Nogen kalder os glædespiger (commentary Erik Nørgaard), 1975
- Børnenes Billedbog (with Sven Grønlykke), 1975
- Samba (commentary Henrik Stangerup), 1982
- Joy of Timing, 1982
- Brasiliansk fodbold, 1984
- Toneangivende danskere, 1991
Films
- Balladen om Carl-Henning (leading photographer), 1968
- Smil Emil (script, director, photographer), 1969
- Stille dage i Clichy (leading photographer), 1970
- Thorvald og Linda (leading photographer), 1982
- Take it Easy (script, director, leading photographer), 1986