Bernard Pierre Wolff died of AIDS in 1985 and will likely never assume the fame and credibility that his work deserves. His images of statues seem to be alive with human emotion. They are weighty with a kind of longing that resonates with the viewer. When he photographs people, we see often them juxtaposed against a non-living figure in such a way as to cause the viewer to compare life and non-life. If there were such a category as existentialist photography, I think Wolff might be its champion.
I first discovered Bernard Pierre Wolff in the late 1980’s after I purchased Joy Division’s album “Closer”. I was captivated by the albums cover image. Since then I have found Wolff’s work to have a certain darkness, but also a gentle beauty that is delicate and human.
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Bernard Pierre Wolff