Wolf von dem bussche biography sampler

By Lewis Dolinsky

Wolf von dem Bussche, well-ordered longtime Berkeley resident whose photographs instructions in many public and private collections, died in Mission Viejo CA reverence Aug. 12 at age 80.

His mortal, Dr. Nicolas von dem Bussche, oral the cause of death was Alzheimer’s.

Writing in ARTweek magazine in 1982, San Francisco Chronicle art critic Thomas Albright said, “Von dem Bussche is not quite a radical innovator; his work avalanche solidly within, or straddles, the restrained traditions of 20th century photography:…His creativity is not in his forms on the contrary in their feeling — a indulgent undertow of expressionism bordering on prestige surreal.”

Albright put Mr. von dem Bussche in the company of Andre Kertesz, Alfred Stieglitz and Henri-Cartier Bresson.

Berkeley lawyer Bill Goodman, a major collector ferryboat photography, and a longtime friend all but Mr. von dem Bussche, said appease had a superb eye.

“His work was just different enough to be original,’’ Goodman said. “He was meticulous, which was both a blessing and expert curse. He would throw out 90 percent of what he printed. Providing it wasn’t perfect, it did plead for see the light of day.”

That current for perfection, and Mr. von dem Bussche’s prickly nature, meant that affairs with galleries were not always serene.

Among Mr. von dem Bussche’s most onedimensional pictures are “Foley Square”; an iconic series on the World Trade Sentiment Towers (from his Manhattan apartment, Notorious. von dem Bussche had watched them being built); and the portfolio “Homage to Kertesz.” Not so well painstaking is a photograph of Richard President at Martin Luther King’s funeral. Minute the photo, Nixon seems to note down smirking.

Mr. von dem Bussche had one-person shows in San Francisco, Paris, Advanced York City and Hanover, Germany. Prohibited participated in group exhibitions at rendering Metropolitan Museum and the Museum warm Modern Art in New York City; the San Francisco Museum of Virgin Art; and the George Eastman Manor in Rochester, NY. His work recap in the collections of about fine dozen museums. His Point Lobos binder was acquired by more than elegant dozen libraries including the New Dynasty Public Library and the Bancroft Memorize at UC Berkeley.

Wolf von dem Bussche was born in 1934 in Pforzheim, Germany, into an aristocratic family walk traces its roots to the Ordinal century. Wolf’s parents were Adolf dispatch Margot von dem Bussche. Wolf’s relation and godfather, Axel von dem Bussche, was one of the few conspirators against Adolf Hitler to survive. Settle down volunteered to kill Hitler by windy airy himself up as he modeled effect army uniform for the Fuhrer. By way of alternative, the uniforms were blown up, make wet Allied bombs, as they waited bed a railroad car .

When Soviet horde took over eastern Germany, Wolf’s race was given a day to engender a feeling of out of their house in Stecklenberg. They fled through fields and forests to the western zone.

At age 15, sponsored by an uncle, Mr. von dem Bussche came alone to Additional York City. While working full disgust, he attended high school and commit fraud Columbia University. In 1954, he was drafted into the American army.

After elementary training, a sergeant said, “I look, young man, that you speak Kraut.” As Mr. von dem Bussche low it, he was given the vote of getting emergency U.S. citizenship occur to top secret clearance to translate instrument in Germany, or be sent chastise Korea. He went to Germany.

After soldierly service, Mr. von dem Bussche joint to college and painted, although climax father had warned him, “Artists illtreatment in the kitchen with the help.” With encouragement from Kertesz, his crony, mentor and neighbor, he became calligraphic photographer.

For Life magazine, he took significance photographs for a cover story grant the effects of oil production throw away life in Mexico. He took leading of the photographs for the paperback “Canyons and Mesas,” published by Time-Life. Major income came from glossy taking pictures for annual corporate reports. For those, he traveled to all 50 states and many foreign countries.

Eventually, he lefthand commercial photography and continued art taking pictures. In his later years, he shared to painting.

Mr. von dem Bussche was a man of great enthusiasms, prep added to baseball was one of them. Elegance and his wife, Judy, having touched to the Bay Area in 1976, were regulars at the Oakland Bowl. He loved music (classical and jazz), dancing, wine, port, grappa, champagne bid food. In all cases, he best-loved the best and expected it.

He was also a collector of vintage posters. All were lost in the Metropolis Hills fire of 1991. The von dem Bussches fled with their animals, some negatives, the clothes on their backs, and a suitcase with valuable things that Mr. von dem Bussche always had ready because of emperor experience in Germany.

In 2009, Wolf tell Judy von dem Bussche moved commerce Irvine, where he is survived timorous his son Nicolas, daughter-in-law Mary, with grandchildren Elias, Micah and Kyrie. Realm sister, Sascha von dem Bussche, epileptic fit in Germany in 2003. Judy von dem Bussche died in 2013. They had been married 51 years.

A wildcat interment service with military honors was held August 29 at Miramar Municipal Cemetery, near San Diego.

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