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Arnold Odermatt — Three works: (i) Heigisweil, 1972; (ii) Heigisweil, 1964; (iii) Oberdorf
Arnold Odermatt

Three works: (i) Heigisweil, 1972; (ii) Heigisweil, 1964; (iii) Oberdorf

These three black and white photographs by Swiss artist Arnold Odermatt document car accidents in the small towns of Heigisweil and Oberdorf, captured with a striking aesthetic detachment that transforms scenes of mishap into quietly composed, almost serene images. Odermatt, who worked as a traffic police officer in the canton of Nidwalden, brought an unusual artistic sensibility to his official documentation duties, finding unexpected beauty and dark humor in the wreckage of everyday collisions. The works are part of his celebrated archive of police photographs, which gained international recognition decades after they were taken.

Medium
(i), (ii) black and white photograph

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September 17, 2015

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About this work

Arnold Odermatt, Three works: (i) Heigisweil, 1972; (ii) Heigisweil, 1964; (iii) Oberdorf

These three black and white photographs by Swiss artist Arnold Odermatt document car accidents in the small towns of Heigisweil and Oberdorf, captured with a striking aesthetic detachment that transforms scenes of mishap into quietly composed, almost serene images. Odermatt, who worked as a traffic police officer in the canton of Nidwalden, brought an unusual artistic sensibility to his official documentation duties, finding unexpected beauty and dark humor in the wreckage of everyday collisions. The works are part of his celebrated archive of police photographs, which gained international recognition decades after they were taken.

Medium
(i), (ii) black and white photograph
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Monochrome, Found Surrealism, 20th Century, Vernacular Photography, Found Aesthetics, Deadpan Style, Male Artist, Documentary Photography, Black and White Photography, Traffic Accident Documentation, Amateur Photographer, Police Photography, Found Situations, Deadpan Aesthetic, Swiss Artist, Car Accident Photography, Working Class Subject Matter, Traffic Accident Photography