Studying at the Bauhaus between 1930 and 1933, Grete Stern transitioned from graphic arts to photography, ultimately becoming a central figure in the modernization of Argentine visual arts. Her career spanned decades across Germany, England, and Argentina, evolving from commercial advertising in Berlin to profound surrealist photomontages produced in Buenos Aires during the mid-twentieth century.
Early Development and Berlin Studios
Born in Elberfeld in 1904, Stern pursued graphic arts training in Stuttgart from 1923 to 1925. Her professional trajectory shifted toward photography after she encountered the work of Paul Outerbridge and Edward Weston. In 1930, she partnered with Ellen Rosenberg Auerbach to establish the studio Ringl + Pit. Operating in Berlin, the firm specialized in innovative advertising photography, utilizing technical training Stern received under Walter Peterhans at the Bauhaus.
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The rise of the Nazi regime prompted Stern to emigrate to England in 1933, where she briefly maintained a studio. She later moved to Argentina alongside her husband, Horacio Coppola. In 1935, the couple organized an exhibition at Sur magazine, documented as the first presentation of modern photography in the country. She officially gained Argentine citizenship in 1958, cementing her influence within the local art community.
The Idilio Photomontages
Starting in 1948, Stern produced a series of approximately 150 surrealist photomontages for the magazine Idilio. These works visually interpreted dreams submitted by readers to a column titled El psicoanálisis te ayudará. Through these images, Stern provided a subtle feminist critique of gender roles within Argentina. While many originals have been lost, the surviving works remain widely studied for their intersection of psychoanalysis and visual subversion.
Academic Tenure and Final Years
Stern transitioned into education in 1959, beginning a teaching career at the National University of the Northeast in Resistencia. She remained an educator until 1985, the same year she retired from professional photography. Following her retirement, she resided in Buenos Aires for another fourteen years. She died on 24 December 1999 at the age of 95, leaving a legacy preserved in collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Fast facts
- Born: 9 May 1904, Elberfeld, Germany
- Died: 24 December 1999, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Education: Bauhaus (1930-1933), State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart
- Studio: Ringl + Pit (founded 1930)
- Citizenship: Germany, Argentina (since 1958)
- Key Series: Los Sueños (for Idilio magazine)
- Teaching Career: 1959-1985
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Ringl + Pit studio?
Founded by Stern and Ellen Rosenberg Auerbach in Berlin, it was a prize-winning studio recognized for its innovative approach to commercial advertising photography.
How did Stern use her photography to address social issues?
Through her photomontages for the magazine Idilio, she critiqued traditional Argentine gender roles and the conventions of psychoanalysis by visually interpreting reader-submitted dreams.
