Tennis Fan, by German-born Stephan Würth, illustrates the photographer’s love of tennis over the last 10 years. In black-and-white images, the book captures Stephan’s life as a tennis fan, traveling to tennis tournaments, captivated by anything at all relating to the sport. A departure from his previous Damiani monographs Ikinga (2016) and Ghost Town (2011), Tennis Fan chronicles Würth’s passionate, near spiritual love of the sport. The photographs approach an almost ascetic devotion at times, in stark images of courts entirely absent of players. In other photos, crowds are shot in ecstatic mania over the impossible speed of the competitors. And, of course, there are images of tennis icons such as Roger Federer, head bowed as he leaves the court, trailed by smiling admirers.
In late 2013, photographer Stephan Würth embarked on a whirlwindroad trip, winding his way across Burundi, a small landlocked nation in the heart of East Africa. Snapping images on a hidden iPhone during his journey, Würth portrays everyday life in the impoverished country, from the bustling open-air markets of its capital, Bujumbura, to the plantations of sweet banana and coffee deep in the country’s foothills. The photographs highlight the integral role the bicycle—or ikinga—plays in Burundi’s culture. With a candid eye that recalls Walker Evans’ surreptitious subway shots of New York in the 1930s, Würth’s photographs reveal a lively, resourceful and entrenched bicycle culture that is vital not only to Burundi’s economy, but also to the daily survival of its countrymen. At times playful and intimate, Ikinga is a bold meditation upon the power of creativity and improvisation during times of great difficulty.
Published by Damiani. Epilogue by Lesley M. M. Blume.
Since moving to California from his native Germany, photographer Stephan Würth has been fascinated with the mythical vistas of the American West and the isolation and freedom of vast desert expanses. Würth culminates this geographical romance with the new series Ghost Town. These photographs narrate the tale of three women as they journey through Nevada, where they soon find themselves stranded with a broken-down car on the side of a desolate road. Shot over seven days on black-and-white Kodak Tri-X film, the images were scanned for the book from 16 x 20 inch hand-developed prints and never retouched. The book also features an epilogue by fashion and culture critic Lesley M. M. Blume.
Stephan Würth: Ikinga
Stephan Würth: Ghost Town