NINO HERMAN

Nino Herman crossed the lines from being a journalist/documentary photographer to becoming an artist/activist photographer.

Nino Herman accompanied heads of states,  army officers and other officials, documenting meetings and being a witness in various historical occasions.

A tragic personal incident which occured some years ago, transformed his life, and in particular , his way of seeing life.

this transformation pushed him to look at people in a different light. to see destiny not as fate. His own personal experience and his particular way of coping with it taught him a lesson in love and acceptance.

 

Why this should be the opening sentences when introducing a photographer will be made clearer as the text unravels.

Nino Herman as a photographer switched from one genre to another, from being a journalist photographer to one that seeks aesthetics and personal expression, in other words artist/photographer.

 

Herman has created some series of images, which can be defined as dealing with a social agenda, some of them even being quite outright activist, while others  more set on expressing an essence of individuals within a social situation. In the series“ Florentin“, Nino focuses his camera on a certain ”colorful“ area in Tel Aviv as his setting, concentrentating on the characters that catch his eye, always keeping in touch with the settings, the natural background, in such a manner as to give the impression, that all these surroundings were created especially for him. As if he had created the perfect setting for a film.

The effect on the viewer is of having seen a frame frozen from a cinematic strip, and not a still, a sense that the drama carries on somewhere in some reality that we can no longer see.

 

Nino Herman treats both the characters and their surroundings in such a virtuous play of interaction, that each one sheds its light on the other, giving them power of expression. The subject of his images then become what emerges of the two, giving it a complexity, and giving the viewer the satisfaction of knowing that there‘s more than meets the eye, allowing him the challenging of intepreting the whole situation.

This does not mean that Nino Herman‘s images are cryptic, not at all. What it means is that there are more than the obvious basic layers of intepretation

 , The way nino handles his figure has been hinted at in my opening sentences. There is a tremendous feeling of empathy which is very

characteristic in nino‘s work, each artist has his own agenda, his own raison d‘etre. I find that Nino‘s raison d‘etre in his art and his whole activity is bounded together with a feeling that he wants to ”do good“ there is a great feeling of humanity; of love for mankind which radiates undoubtedly from his work.

 

it is not fashionable not to be cynical, it is not fashionable not to be the ”bad boy“ in art, but precisely because of that, Nino‘s art is so refreshing. There is no doubt about it in my mind that this is not done from a populistic point of view, on the contrary, the autheticity of his work is so outgoing and obvious that this thought, if it appears, is immediately subdued, we just believe him

In many of his images, Nino‘s handling of space, its perspective, is open, he does not close spaces, he leaves an option for further depth, by creating a space within a space.

 

I believe that there is a direct relationship between Nino‘s tactics, his narrative and his artistic expression. The final statement  when all these are joined together is exactly what I opened this text with, we too are taught a lesson in love and acceptance, in my view, this is where the emphasis lies

 

Although I am a painter/artist, I am very much challenged by the  opportunity of decyphering and intepreting other artists' art, finding the words and the right arguments to express my personal reading of their art 

 

Jennifer Bloch

M.A. Contemporary art, University of Liverpool

active artist, art teacher

 

 

Nino doesn't use the camera as an "external tool" but as an extension of his heart, his true self. Each photograph is much deeper than its first appearance; beyond the visible which the eye can recognise, there are profound sentiments only the heart can discern... it's an humanist experience.

Pierre Poulain, Photography and Philosophy

 

 

In the almost cinematic immediacy of Nino's images, the profound humanity of the people of Israel is unmistakable. That is why this exhibit is so vital at a time like this.

Bradley Burston, Haaretz

 

 

Nino's photos remind me both of classical paintings and contemporary scenes of the modern age. It is as if I am walking with him in Israel and seeing through his magical lens. He brings me RIGHT there. The portraits and couples reflect the love he sees in each soul. His humanity shines through each shot. 

Janice Rous, Body Dialogue  

 

 

Nino Herman s photography reveals a discerning human eye. He captures and immortalizes elusive moments and faces with great sensitivity, with respect and love. His camera illuminates the face of the complex place we live in.

Ehud Banai, singer and songwriter 

 

 

Nino’s photos provide a fascinating journey to the depths of his heart.

He is both a social observer and documental photographer capturing humans in nature.

He’s photography is clean and unpretentious, revealing the humane figure of the Israeli society and the beauty of nature.

Nino’s lens enables the viewer to see that there is nothing greater than the day to day human dignity and love.

Avi Sabag

Director and founder of Musrara, the Naggar School of Art

Chief Curator

 

 

Nino Herman's heart and eye reveal the inner lives of young, urban Israelis in ways you would never know unless you read contemporary Hebrew novels.  These photographs take you way beyond any ideas of Israel you may have constructed from the media or from early romance.

Rachel Cowan

Executive Director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality 

She was previously the Program Director for Jewish Life at the Nathan Cummings

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I'm very happy that I had the chance to see the photographs by Nino Herman at the JCC. They are very interesting. For me it's an interesting aproach to hotography and it is very touching, that everyday situations are taken by nino with so much strenght.

I'm an artist myself and showing this delicate topic is an inspiration for me. Showing the indivituality of a person and showing the unique situations emanates with so much strenght that comes from this stop of the motion. I value drawings and sketches, that I believe are the quickest ways to catch emotions. When you start painting, you are already processing the emotions. The sketch is the first touch and this is something that I find on this photographs. I also noticed big umility that he has approaching people and life. I saw portraits on his website and they also touch and inspire me. To catch character not only of what we see but is on the inside – the soul, heart and life it tells a lot about the Creator. For my art this exhibition and possibility to look at this works is very inspirint. This way of stopping the situations, atmosphere and tension of the situations allows me to see a new direction. I am also touched by the great love for people that you see on this pictires.

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Marzena Jagiełło

1988 MA Painting Department led by Senior Lecturer Prof. Juliusz Joniak,
Fine Art Academy, Krakow


 

Although I’m not a photographer or artist and have no pretentions of being an authority in these realms, I intuitively sensed that Nino Herman’s work carries a unique energy, perspective and depth, unlike the common visual content I am exposed to which in comparison seems superficial and shallow. His photography conveys and invites the viewer to an exceptionally profound emotional experience that addresses multiple perspectives, all present simultaneously. The capsulation of specific moments and lifelong timelines unfold side by side so that the viewer can choose the bandwidth through which to view and experience each photograph and move freely between its many different dimensions. Fascinating and outstanding work!

 

Joan Jacobs
Emotional Healing Specialist