Unknown treasures brought to light

Who knows about Hans Potthof's photographic art? The exhibition in the Shedhalle in Zug showcases his work together with that of Gato Dkach - and surprises everyone.

There is great interest in the exhibition organised by the Zug Art Association (Verein Zug Art), which focuses primarily on the almost unknown photographic works of the painter and graphic artist Hans (Johnny) Potthof (1911-2003). They detract somewhat from his early work as a painter. This is because he was travelling with his Rolleiflex camera from the 1935s onwards: the atmospheric facets of Zug and Lake Zug from different seasons, amusing details of the bull market in Zug (Stiermarkt), his ski tours, his trips to Paris and Berlin for the 1936 Olympics, and the groups of works of steel and asphalt workers are all on display.

At last Friday evening's vernissage, the large colour photo of the Zugerseegfrörni’ ‘(Lake Zug frozen over) in 1962, which shows countless water birds on the thawed ice in the foreground and people enjoying themselves on the remaining ice surface behind them, attracted particular attention. And in one photo, which shows a double exposure of a man's head behind a tennis racket, a visitor even recognised her father Willi Uttinger, who, like her and many other Zug residents, knew Johnny Potthof personally.

The artist's humour shines through in many of his works, such as in the self-portrait ‘Antrag’ (Proposal) from 1937, in which he is holding a tulip in his hand and addressing a female clay head. Potthof's innovative creativity is also evident in the angles and vistas from which he photographs his subjects, how he experimentally uses double exposures, blurring, light and shadow or incorporates fog to emphasise moods.

A picture of the ‘Zugerseegfrörni’ from 1962
Black and white photographs are also included   
Nature provides a beautiful play of colours               Photos: Matthias Jurt

The watercolour from 1931 with a lantern is interesting, because the photo of the same lamp from 1937 hangs next to it, in a play of light and shadow. The contents of the display cases should not be forgotten, as there are several sketchbooks here that you would love to browse through - including the two copies that the Zug State Archives have recently received.

The City of Zug owns several works
The mayor (Stadtpräsident) of Zug, André Wicki, is overwhelmed by the old photos and says with appreciation: ‘Hans Potthof belongs to Zug. The town also owns 18 of his pictures, which are located in various places, in addition to the town hall.’

Many visitors are surprised by the photographic quality of Potthof's analogue black and white photographs, as almost all of them have never been shown to the public before. Only a few photos were shown at the Casino Theatre in 1940, says Potthof expert and curator of the exhibition, art historian Georg Hilbi. He already referred to this aspect in his 2021 art book ‘Hans Potthof - frühe Malerei, Fotografie’.

He came across the photographic works in 2017 while looking through the estate, which is managed by the Hans and Martha Potthof Foundation, and became fascinated by them. ‘I had previously been familiar with his meditative oil paintings. The photos were completely new territory for me at the time: he had captured the spirit of the times and could compete with the greats.’

Hans Potthof began painting around 1930, and his photos were taken from 1935 onwards. ‘He was independent in his work, both as a painter and photographer - and always sought his own style.’ Georg Hilbi adds that the quantity surprised him: ‘I viewed, cleaned and digitised around 2,000 negatives.’ He had to select around 200 photos for the exhibition, nd had to frame them or have them mounted on Aludibond.

The title ‘Augenblick - The Silent View Beyond’ is profound, as one moment is not enough to take a closer look at everything. And ‘The silent view - beyond’ emphasises the creative work of the two artists, as Potthof's works are in dialogue with Zug photographer and world traveller Gato Dkach (born in 1966), who was unfortunately unable to attend the vernissage.

As a contemporary photographic artist, he is also supported by Zug Art. With colourful, documentary images of Eastern temples, landscapes and people, Gato Dkach tells of his travels, and enchants with experimental and surreal works. According to Georg Hilbi, Dkach has digitised a black and white negative by Hans Potthof and reinterpreted it in colour-
 

Note:
The ‘Hans Potthof/Gato Dkach - Augenblick - The Silent View Beyond’ exhibition can be seen at the Shedhalle in Zug until 2nd October 2024.
Opening hours:
Wednesday and Friday, 5 pm to 8 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm.