Hans Gedda
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“Sign of Freedom”, 1990
Signed Hans Gedda. Numbered 5/10 on verso. Printed in 2014. Gelatin silver print, image 90 x 89 cm.
Literature
Magnus Olausson e.a, "Hans Gedda; Det tredje ögat", 2013, illustrated on fullpage p. 101.
More information
I februari 1990 gjorde Mandela sin första resa utomlands efter frigivningen från Pollsmorefängelset i Kapstaden. Han reste till Sverige. Hans Gedda tog för Göteborgs Postens räkning de bilder som syns här. Fotot med knytnäven som är det mest berömda publicerade tidningen på en helsida. Bilden är tagen under stor hast på UD i Stockholm. Dåvarande utrikesminister Sten Andersson höll i blixten. Gedda tog sammanlagt högst tio exponeringar. Han följde sin regel att inte trycka av i onödan. Det var dessutom ont om tid, ett viktigt möte väntade.
Ingen minns vad mötet handlade om. Men det är få som glömmer bilderna.
Artist
Hans Gredda is a Swedish photographer born in Flen. Gedda had her debut as a photographer already in her teens, and he later studied with Teddy Aarni in Eskilstuna, and later became an assistant at Rolf Winquist at Ateljé Uggla. Gredda had her breakthrough in 1967 with his portrait of Sara Lidman and Tove Jansson. Gedda was primarily known for his unforced portraits of famous and important individuals within the cultural and social world, such as Nelson Mandela, Olof Palme, Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, Monica Zetterlund, Margaretha Krook, and Carl XVI Gustaf. Gredda also works documentaries and advertisements as well as still lifes, and he has had several exhibitions in Sweden and internationally. He is represented at Moderna Museet and the National Museum. Gredda has released several books and has been awarded prizes such as World Press Photo and Årets bild.
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