Annette Kelm Iwan Goll, Der Mitropäer, 1928. Rhein-Verlag, Zürich, Einbandgestaltung vermutlich Fernand Léger, 2019
70 x 52,5 cm (unframed)
71,4 x 53,9 x 4 cm (framed)
Annette Kelm's series of works entitled Die Bücher (EN The Books) depicts individual books banned during the National Socialist rule in Germany. Many of them were burned at public events in May 1933.
Generally shown life-sized (or slightly enlarged), the series keeps to one format, with each composition centering the book against a white background. A narrow cast shadow reveals the publication as three-dimensional object, sometimes with traces of wear and tear visible on its front, such as small tears in the dust jacket or small stains and annotations on the cover.
Kelm's series commemorates the censorship, condemnation and removal of books from German life during Nazi rule which found an early culmination in the nationwide public book burnings in May 1933 but continued through 1945. While photographs documenting the book burnings generally show pyres with an indiscriminate mass of papers or unidentified books being flung into the flames, Kelm's photos present each book individually, with a studied care and attention akin to portrait photography. To emphasize this analogy, information about authors, publishers and designers of the book are the work's title.