Dieter Blum, born in Esslingen/Germany, living in Duesseldorf is self-taught having taken up photography as a young man.
Ever since going freelance in 1964 he has worked for magazines such as STERN, SPIEGEL, TIME und VANITY FAIR (mainly for the culture sections), Has produced ad photography (e.g., since 1992 for MARLBORO), developed CI image concepts for major corporations and clear Corporate Communications systems. For over 20 years now he has, in his own work, focused on a trinity of themes:
MUSIC (Berliner Philharmonic, Richard-Wagner’s Bayreuth, Puccini in the Forbidden City in Peking), DANCE and ARTISTS.
Solo shows on DANCE have included:
WÜRTTEMBERGISCHEN KUNSTVEREIN STUTTGART 1995, in STAATLICHEN MUSEEN ZU BERLIN – PREUSSISCHER KULTURBESITZ 1996, FRANKFURTER KUNSTVEREIN 1997, DEUTSCHES TANZARCHIV KÖLN – SK STIFTUNG KULTUR in 1998.
VILLA MERKEL, Kunstverein Esslingen / Galerie der Stadt Esslingen, 2011
International exhibitions:
STATE RUSSIAN MUSEUM ST.PETERSBURG, CORPUS BENOIS, RIGHT WING: BODYCATHEDRALS 2003-4
THE MUSEUM HOUSE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MOSCOW: BODYCATHEDRALS 2004
BONN BIENNIAL: BIG APPLE 2004
BIENNALE VENICE, 2005
Solo show: AUSLÖSER
MUENCHNER STADTMUSEUM 1976
KUNSTHALLE MANNHEIM March 21 – May 3, 1987
AUSLÖSER in the Kodak Gallery Tokyo, Ginza 1987
The venues of other solo exhibitions have included MÜNCHNER STADTMUSEUM, in MANNHEIM, in HAMBURG; COLGONE.
Two special shows of his work have been held as part of PHOTOKINA COLOGNE:
DAS ABENTEUER 1972 and
DAIMLER-BENZ Art Sponsoring 1992.
Blum has received over 150 awards, including, in 1982, FIRST PRIZE in the most important international image competition, the WORLD PRESS PHOTO AWARD for his pictures in STERN on the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan.
Collection:
Frankfurter Kunstverein
State Russian Museum St.Petersburg
Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Saatchi Collection, London
Blum has published and designed a large number of books, including
AFRICA 1976 (foreword by Léopold Sédar Sénghor), RUSSIA 1980, NIPPON – der neue Superstaat Japan 1984,
DAS ORCHESTER und die Berliner Philharmoniker unter Herbert von Karajan 1983,
Emperor Karajan and his Orchester, Tokyo, 1984
AUSLÖSER 1986,
XTC Dance Photography, I Classic Dance, II Modern Dance, III Erotic Dance, 1995, 1996, 1997
pure dance, 2004
Berlin Philharmonic Orchester, 2007
Malakhov by Dieter Blum, 2009
SHELL, 2011
Blum is an Eelected Member of Deutsche Fotografische Akademie (DFA),
the Bund Freischaffender Fotodesigner (BFF),
the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie DGPh,
the ArtDirectorsClub Deutschland (ADC),
and the VBK Verband Bildender Künstler
Prizes
Charleroi 1958, Gold,
Adelaide/Australia, 1958 Gold,
Budapest 1970, Special Prize +Gold
Photo-Salon de Bordeaux, 1961, Gold
„ 1964, Silver, International Photo Salon de Bordeaux,
„ 1969 Gold+Honorary Prize, International Photo Salon de Bordeaux
and Honorary Citizenship of the City of Bordeaux, conferred by M. Chaban-Delmas,
Lord Mayor of Bordeaux and Member of the French Senate
+1971 Honorary Prize, International Photo Salon de Bordeaux
photokina 1972, Obelisque, for his show “Das Abenteuer Africa”
photokina 1992, Obelisque, for the show “Cultural Sponsoring at Daimler-Benz”,
World Press Photo 1982, Award, bestowed by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
Staufer Medal 2001, for his book: Der Fluß des Lebens,
The highest award of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Kodak Book GoldPrize for “Africa”, Best Book Of The Year, 1977
+ nine other Kodak book prizes
Kodak Calendar prize 15x
As well as 11 other calendar prizes
Various ADC awards, among others:
for Schwäbischen Albtraum, silver medal, ADC N.Y. 1987,
Germany:
Wie der Bundeskanzler Nikon sieht: ADC Deutschland, silver medal & Advertising Of The Year,
Einfach Spitze, Das Hamburger Ballett im STERN, ADC Deutschland, bronze medal, 1992,
Prizes for:
Künstler+Modell, 1993, ADC Deutschland,
Künstler+Modell, 1995, ADC N.Y.,
Marlboro, 2002, ADC Deutschland.
