Around 200 black and white photographs from almost six decades of artistic work will be presented
1975 - 50 years ago, Klaus Ender initiated the first nude exhibition in the former GDR. It had taken ten years of hard work before he was able to realize this dream. A first attempt in 1965 in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen had failed. The time was not yet ripe. But the aesthete did not give up. Numerous publications in "Das Magazin" and other magazines as well as his discreet depiction of the female body were convincing. He was able to gain the photographer Gerd Rattei as a partner. Both opened this exhibition on September 16, 1975 on the Freundschaftsinsel in Potsdam. It was to make history and bring recognition to this genre. Due to its huge success in Potsdam, "Nude & Landscape" toured other cities and attracted over 100,000 visitors. One of these cities at the time was Rostock. Naturally, the cultural functionaries wanted to share in the success and in 1979 elevated the exhibition to a trial in which all GDR photographers could participate. The sensitive approach of the pioneer of nude photography helped to define the style.
The Society presented this show again in 2012. With the addition of many photographs, the legendary exhibition now shows almost six decades of artistic nude photography. More than half of the images now on display are new to the presentation. The photographer remained true to black and white. His models appear ravishingly fresh, natural and self-confident. Ender often combined the beauty of the landscape with that of the female body, pointing out how vulnerable man and nature are and how existential the harmony between the two is.
In 1962, the seasonal baker was stranded in Thiessow on the island of Rügen, his camera in his luggage. He had long since discovered his fascination with photography and it was to accompany him throughout his life. He took his first nudes in 1963 and published his first pictures - still as an amateur - in "Das Magazin" in 1965, for which he worked for ten years. In 1966, the self-taught photographer received a license to work as a freelance journalist on the basis of his photographic achievements. In 1979, the International Federation of Art Photography (FIAP) awarded him the international honorary title of ARTISTE FIAP (AFIAP). The Ministry of Education and Art in Vienna classified him as a "visual artist of photography" in 1982.
The initiator of the first nude exhibition paid dearly for his departure to Austria in 1981. A renegade was erased from all archives in the GDR. As a result, the 1975 exhibition was ignored and the 1979 exhibition was declared the first - a falsification of history that lasted long after reunification. But it was not possible to erase the name Klaus Ender from history and people's memories.
In 1996, the nature lover returned to the Island of Rügen - back to the island that had once motivated him to make photography his profession. Since then, he has devoted himself increasingly to nude photography and revived his "Nudes & Landscapes" series. He always felt a connection to aesthetics and never bowed to any zeitgeist. Right up to his last model, whom he photographed on Fuerteventura, the focus was on natural sensuality. The naturalness that his pictures radiate exerts a special charm on the viewer and makes them unmistakable. He was a master at presenting his models at their best, balancing their body language and preserving their personality.
Photography was his passion until the very end. Whether nudes or landscapes, nature studies or techniques such as infrared - his moving images show great respect for nature. In 2002, his lyrical talent (re)awoke. As a poet and aphorist, he devoted himself to the German language and demonstrated a special sensitivity in dealing with themes such as grief and farewell, but also love, happiness and inner peace. In his own Art Photo publishing house, he published nude books, books of poetry and aphorisms, art cards, calendars and much more.
Klaus Ender wanted aesthetic nude photography to continue to find its place in the future. His exhibition carries this idea forward. His books and other publications will be available for the entire duration of the exhibition, including the "Nude & Landscape" calendar for 2025 - an anniversary edition containing only photographs from the first show in 1975, as well as the "Very Personal Annual Companion".
During the exhibition period, the documentary film "Klaus Ender - Wenn Bilder eine Seele haben..." (Heimat-Bild-Verlag) can be seen several times during the exhibition. It shows in an impressive way the unusual path of the extraordinary artist from amateur to one of the most renowned German nude photographers.
After his death, BILD wrote: "With his unmistakable art, he created a lasting monument to himself."
