Internationally acclaimed fashion photographer Juergen Teller is famous for turning beauty grotesque. He has now headed into a different territory with the publication of his coffee table book “Auschwitz Birkenau.” Steidl, one of the great German art book publishers, has produced this magnificent tome. It features more than 800 amazing images, all shot solely with an iPhone. The accompanying photographs powerfully evoke the ghostly landscape of Auschwitz as it exists in the present. They tell a powerful visual story, amplified by memories from former inmates, gathered by Christoph Heubner, the International Auschwitz Committees’ executive vice-president.
Teller is one of the most in-demand fashion photographers in the world, widely known and respected for his extraordinary vision. Most notably, he is celebrated for his role in establishing the `90s grunge aesthetic and the short-lived “heroin chic” trend. His past works have consistently subverted traditional notions of beauty, eliciting both acclaim and outrage from audiences. This new project is a significant, courageous step away from the usual shindig. Through his work, he hopes to convey a place that has become one of history’s darkest places.
The book’s cover features beautiful design work by Peter Saville. He’s a key figure in the history of graphic design, known in particular for creating the haunting artwork for Joy Division and Factory Records. This ongoing collaboration has given the project an added depth, notably through creative input from artists. That hasn’t insulated Teller’s work from continued criticism. As written, critics rightly claim it contributes little to our understanding of Auschwitz. They challenge whether his artistic approach is appropriate for tackling such charged subject matter.
Miklós Haraszti Yad Vashem’s then deputy director Christoph Heubner was instrumental in persuading Teller to allow an artist to film inside Auschwitz. He said he hoped Teller’s unusual approach could help illuminate the site’s historical importance and emotional severity. The book’s reception has been decidedly mixed. Though plenty of people commend its artistic aspirations, a fair amount of people mourn the fact that it diminishes the seriousness of the Holocaust.
“Picturing things, taking a view, is what makes us human.” – Richter
The images in “Auschwitz Birkenau” bring to life the current site just as starkly. They stand in sharp contrast to the horrors that used to take place there. For each photo, you can move back and forth in time. At the same time, it challenges viewers to engage with the sometimes terrifying ghosts of a violent, dehumanizing history. The interwoven, first-person narratives from former prisoners add dimension and color, hoping to inspire outrage and empathy.
Despite these intentions, a number of art critics and historians have expressed their outrage over Teller’s method. There, they say, his flair for the theatrical leans into an ugly aesthetic of discomfort. This is an inopportune strategy to use when illustrating a place meant to embody human pain. The only question now is whether a sort of creative interpretation can play out alongside something that honors the legacy of the past.
The conversation around Teller’s new book marks the beginning of a larger discussion about how social and contemporary artists approach and process historical trauma. Personal memory as source material for artistic representation raises thorny questions of ownership. It raises troubling questions about the authenticity of storytelling, particularly on subjects of trauma. Critics argue that artistic expression is important, but should be equally conscious of the impact it holds.