Morten Bo
Encyclopedia
Morten Bo is a Danish photographer who has specialized in documentary work with a social impact. His 15 travelling exhibitions in the 1970s and 1980s proved quite controversial. In the 1980s, he turned to more abstract photography with lines, contours and contrasts of light and shade. A member of Delta-Photos from 1967 to 1972, in 1973, he was a co-founder of the Ragnarok group. In line with his interest in promoting the art, he founded Fatamorgana
, Denmark's school of art photography, in 1989.
in 1966. He had previously studied architecture and had used photography as a tool to appreciate the concept of space.
s. Morten Bo followed the trend, representing the interests of the newly formed party, Venstresocialisterne
, which had been founded in 1967. His direct approach, inspired by William Klein
's street photography, resulted in a considerable number of photo books, quite an innovation at the time.
In 1969, he published his first book Findes der en ridder i orange?. Published in duplex, which was unusual, it presented the dismal street life of Copenhagen
with the story of a woman walking through the town. Concern with negative aspects of life was new to photographic publications leading others to follow with works critical of the politics of the day and the Vietnam War
.
Next came Blågård Blues in 1971, revealing stark contrasts in the city's street life with nuns presented side-by-side with drug addicts. In 1972, thanks to grants he received from the Arts Foundation and from the National Bank, he was able to travel around Denmark for a whole year. In addition to the travelling exhibition På landet, he published Spor — et folk og en fotograf i 1970erne (Footsteps — a people and a photographer in the 1970s) (1972) with essays entitled Sildefiletfabrikken (Herring filetting plant) or Ud i det fri (Out in the wilds), often concentrating on the ugly or indifferent side of life, including the socially disadvantaged classes.
Bo continued to publish books about life in Denmark whether in the provinces or at the workplace or even, as in Lyset slukkes kl. 22 (Lights out at 10 pm) (1975) among the mentally ill.
In 1978, he published Alarm depicting life at a fire station. Folkets skole came out in 1980, criticizing the country's State schools.
His latest experimental book, Røde Missiler (2007) with photographs he took up to 1990, uses a new photographic technique which, in the words of Morten Bo, "made it possible to treat the photographic paper emulsion in a hitherto unseen, expresive, dynamic way. The technique gave me new possibilities to portray the unreal." The pictures combine photography's precise definition with the spontaneous dynamics of art.
For a time, Bo and his contemporaries were at a loss to decide whether they belonged to the world of the press or to that of art. Only in 1978 when Bo presented his artistically executed photographs at the Sophienholm exhibition aptly titled Fotografi for kunst, kunst for fotografi (Photography for Art, Art for Photography) did his choice become apparent. Morten Bo has had a significant impact on photography in Denmark not only through his co-founding of Ragnarok in 1983 but especially as head of the Fatamorgana school of art photography.
In 2008, Morten Bo won the Fogtdal Photographers Award
.
Fatamorgana (photo school)
Fatamorgana is a Danish school of art photography in Copenhagen. Founded by Morten Bo in 1999, the school offers one-year introductory courses, divided up into two semesters, covering various aspects of documentary and conceptual photography...
, Denmark's school of art photography, in 1989.
Early career
Morten Bo started out in film rather than still photography at the National Film School of DenmarkNational Film School of Denmark
TheNational Film School of Denmark is an independent institution under the Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was established in 1966 and is based on Holmen in the harbour of Copenhagen.-History:...
in 1966. He had previously studied architecture and had used photography as a tool to appreciate the concept of space.
Still photography
There was a distinct change to documentary photography in the 1960s when it began to take the form of series or photo essayPhoto essay
A photo-essay is a set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in the viewer. A photo essay will often show pictures in deep emotional stages. Photo essays range from purely photographic works to photographs with captions or small notes to full text...
s. Morten Bo followed the trend, representing the interests of the newly formed party, Venstresocialisterne
Left Socialists
Left Socialists , a political party in Denmark. VS works on what it calls a 'undogmatic revolutionary and Marxist basis'.It was formed in 1967 as a split from the Socialist People's Party . VS was represented by the letter "Y" on the electoral ballots. VS members of parliament were respected and...
, which had been founded in 1967. His direct approach, inspired by 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...
's street photography, resulted in a considerable number of photo books, quite an innovation at the time.
In 1969, he published his first book Findes der en ridder i orange?. Published in duplex, which was unusual, it presented the dismal street life of 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...
with the story of a woman walking through the town. Concern with negative aspects of life was new to photographic publications leading others to follow with works critical of the politics of the day and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Next came Blågård Blues in 1971, revealing stark contrasts in the city's street life with nuns presented side-by-side with drug addicts. In 1972, thanks to grants he received from the Arts Foundation and from the National Bank, he was able to travel around Denmark for a whole year. In addition to the travelling exhibition På landet, he published Spor — et folk og en fotograf i 1970erne (Footsteps — a people and a photographer in the 1970s) (1972) with essays entitled Sildefiletfabrikken (Herring filetting plant) or Ud i det fri (Out in the wilds), often concentrating on the ugly or indifferent side of life, including the socially disadvantaged classes.
Bo continued to publish books about life in Denmark whether in the provinces or at the workplace or even, as in Lyset slukkes kl. 22 (Lights out at 10 pm) (1975) among the mentally ill.
In 1978, he published Alarm depicting life at a fire station. Folkets skole came out in 1980, criticizing the country's State schools.
His latest experimental book, Røde Missiler (2007) with photographs he took up to 1990, uses a new photographic technique which, in the words of Morten Bo, "made it possible to treat the photographic paper emulsion in a hitherto unseen, expresive, dynamic way. The technique gave me new possibilities to portray the unreal." The pictures combine photography's precise definition with the spontaneous dynamics of art.
For a time, Bo and his contemporaries were at a loss to decide whether they belonged to the world of the press or to that of art. Only in 1978 when Bo presented his artistically executed photographs at the Sophienholm exhibition aptly titled Fotografi for kunst, kunst for fotografi (Photography for Art, Art for Photography) did his choice become apparent. Morten Bo has had a significant impact on photography in Denmark not only through his co-founding of Ragnarok in 1983 but especially as head of the Fatamorgana school of art photography.
In 2008, Morten Bo won the Fogtdal Photographers Award
Fogtdal Photographers Award
The Fogtdal Photographers Awards is the largest awards programme dedicated specifically to Danish photography. It was established in 2004 by Danish publisher Per Fogtdal. The awards programme consists of an Honarary Award, rewarded with DKK 250,000, and five other awards, each rewarded with a...
.
Books by Morten Bo
- Findes der en ridder i orange? (with fictional text by Knud Holten), Lund & Jakobsen (1969)
- Blågårds blues (with commentary by Carl Frederik Garde), Bøhms bogtryk (1971)
- Spor — et folk og en fotograf i 1970erne (1972)
- På landet (with commentary by Erik Aalbæk Jensen), Lindhardt & Ringhof (1973)
- I lampen (with Jørgen Borg), (with commentary by Ole Sarvig), Arena (1974)
- Lyset slukkes kl. 22:00, Det danske Forlag (1975)
- Alarm, Informations Forlag (1978)
- Kalkværket, A/S N. Olaf Møller, (1978)
- Folkets skole, Albatros (1980)
- Solen i skyggen, Nyt Nordisk Forlag (1982)
- Aalborg, face to face", (with Per Folkver), Aalborg kommune (1985)
- Danmark på hjul, Scania Danmark (1986)
- Elskede Olga! - en skabelsesberetning, Forlaget Fatamorgana (2007)
- Røde Missiler, Forlaget Fatamorgana (2007)