Lena Herzog
Encyclopedia
Lena Herzog is a documentary and fine art photographer.
Born Elena Pisetski in 1970 in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Herzog moved to St. Petersburg in 1987 to attend the Philological Faculty of St. Petersburg University where she studied languages (English & Spanish) and literature. In 1990 she emigrated to the United States and graduated with a degree in Philosophy from Mills College
specializing in the History and Philosophy of Science. She was also a research consultant at Stanford University
. Herzog started taking photographs in 1997 and studied photographic printing techniques with the Italian master printer Ivan Dala Tana in Milan and later with French master printer Marc Valesella. She combines some of the very early photographic darkroom processes with contemporary techniques to achieve her desired effects.
Her work has been published and reviewed in The New Yorker
, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times
, The Paris Review
, Harper’s Magazine, El País, El Mundo
The Believer
, The British Journal of Photography, and Cabinet, among others. Her work has been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
, Pasadena Museum of California Art
, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
(San Francisco), and the International Center of Photography
(New York).
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, German filmmaker Werner Herzog
. They have collaborated on some projects including a book of stills from her husband’s film Bad Lieutenant
which was published by Rizzoli in 2009. Werner Herzog wrote the introduction to Lena Herzog’s book Pilgrims which came out in 2002.
Born Elena Pisetski in 1970 in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Herzog moved to St. Petersburg in 1987 to attend the Philological Faculty of St. Petersburg University where she studied languages (English & Spanish) and literature. In 1990 she emigrated to the United States and graduated with a degree in Philosophy from Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
specializing in the History and Philosophy of Science. She was also a research consultant at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Herzog started taking photographs in 1997 and studied photographic printing techniques with the Italian master printer Ivan Dala Tana in Milan and later with French master printer Marc Valesella. She combines some of the very early photographic darkroom processes with contemporary techniques to achieve her desired effects.
Her work has been published and reviewed in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, The Paris Review
Paris Review
The Paris Review is a literary quarterly founded in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen and George Plimpton. Plimpton edited the Review from its founding until his death in 2003. In its first five years, The Paris Review published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip Larkin, V. S...
, Harper’s Magazine, El País, El Mundo
El Mundo (Spain)
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the...
The Believer
The Believer (magazine)
The Believer is a United States literary magazine that also covers other arts and general culture. Founded and designed in 2003 by the writer and publisher Dave Eggers, it is edited by Vendela Vida, Heidi Julavits and Ed Park...
, The British Journal of Photography, and Cabinet, among others. Her work has been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, Pasadena Museum of California Art
Pasadena Museum of California Art
The Pasadena Museum of California Art is an art museum located in Pasadena, California, USA, showcasing art and design that originates from California. The museum was founded by long-time Pasadena residents and art collectors Robert and Arlene Oltman...
, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is a multi-disiplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that celebrates local, national, and international artists and the Bay Area's diverse...
(San Francisco), and the International Center of Photography
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
(New York).
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, German filmmaker Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
. They have collaborated on some projects including a book of stills from her husband’s film Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a 2009 American crime drama film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Nicolas Cage.-Overview:...
which was published by Rizzoli in 2009. Werner Herzog wrote the introduction to Lena Herzog’s book Pilgrims which came out in 2002.
Articles & Portfolio Publications
- "The March of the Strandebeests," by Ian Frazier, The New Yorker (2011)
- Lena Herzog's portfolio of the Strandbeests, The New Yorker: PHOTO BOOTH (2011)
- Interview with Lawrence Weschler, The Believer (2011)
- "Incompatible With Life", The Paris Review Issue 188 (2009)
- "Rhapsody in Death," Cabinet Magazine issue 36 (2009)
- "Airship," The Paris Review issue 184 (2008)
- "Garden of Rocks," Harper’s Magazine (May 2008)
- "The Light Stuff", The Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine (2004 cover story)
- "Lena Herzog on Spain," British Journal of Photography (2003)
Books
- Lost Souls ISBN 978-0-9825-9080-5 (2010)
- Bad Lieutenant ISBN 13:978-0-7893-2013-1 (2009)
- Flamenco: Dance Class ISBN (in English): 11-902699-44-0 ISBN (in Spanish): 1-84567-144-5 (2003)
- Tauromaquia: The Art of Bullfighting ISBN (in English): 1-902699-23-8 ISBN (in Spanish): 1-902699-24-6 (2002)
- Pilgrims ISBN (in English): 1-902699-43-2 (2002)
Exhibitions
- Lost Souls, International Center of Photography (2010)
- The Circle of Bliss, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2003)
- Reflecting Buddha, Pasadena Museum of California Art (2003)
- Ensayo, (multimedia show) Yerba Buena Center of the Performing Arts, San Francisco (2003)
- Flamenco, Foyles Gallery, London (2003)
- Tauromaquia, Museum of Carruajes, Seville, Spain (2002)
- Below Zero, Focus Gallery, San Francisco (2000)
- Black and White Photographs from Andalucia and Shinxiang, Focus Gallery, San Francisco(1998)