Swiss, citizen of the world, photographer (Daily Life and Environment 2011, by René Burri) - Swiss Press Award

Swiss, citizen of the world, photographer

René Burri

It is all because of the lamps. In fact, young René Burri would have liked to become a film director. But in the forties in Switzerland, movie training was unheard of. And because the projectors in the photography class reminded him of the movies, he chose photography. That was brave, naive too, perhaps. Whatever it was, the mother was reduced to tears. She thought of passport pictures. Or about those harassing street photo­ graphers. And yet, Switzerland, with names such as Schuh, Senn or Tug­ gener, had long been an Eldorado for photojournalism. As well as graphic design. The good spirit of the Mod­ ern had blown over Switzerland. And young René Burri would benefit from it. His teachers were called It­ ten, Finsler, Willimann. It doesn’t get better than that. And even if, even­ tually and propelled by curiosity, Burri chose another path, the disci­ pline the photography classes, the truthfulness and clarity­aspiring Fin­ sler­Schule would leave their mark on him. His geometrical way of see­ ing, his ability to rearrange the chaos of the world – he learnt in Zurich. Switzerland is small. And that can also bring advantages. One of which is: you take two steps and find your­ self in a foreign land. No guarantee for cosmopolitanism, but it does help. René Burri is an incredibly adaptable photographer. An interna­ tionalist who never forgot his roots and kept on publishing his work in Swiss magazines. His first and most important book, »Die Deutschen”, was published by Fretz & Wasmuth in 1962, and he regularly entrusted his big essays to »DU” magazine. In Paris, he looked for and made portraits of Swiss artists such as Tinguely, Giaco­ metti or Le Corbusier – an ambassa­ dor in all directions. His tune is in­ formed with an undying curiosity and a deep humanity. He has long been one of the most significant photographers of the 20th century. One can only bow before his life­ time achievement.

Guido Magnaguagno