Gerhard Steidl

Born in Göttingen in 1950, Gerhard Steidl began working as a printer and designer in 1968. Soon the customers of his screen-printing workshop included Joseph Beuys, Marcel Broodthaers and Nam June Paik, among other well-known artists. In 1972, the first Steidl book Befragung der documenta (Questioning documenta) was published. From political non-fiction he then expanded into literature and selected books on art and photography. Since 1993 Steidl has held the worldwide rights to the work of Nobel Laureate Günter Grass. In 1994 Steidl launched its international photobook program, that includes today some of the world’s most renowned photographers and artists, among them, Joel Sternfeld, Bruce Davidson, Robert Frank, Robert Adams, Karl Lagerfeld, Lewis Baltz, Dayanita Singh, Ed Ruscha, Roni Horn and Juergen Teller, to name but a few. Known for his passion for paper, printer and publisher Gerhard Steidl personally selects the paper and binding materials for each title and oversees all aspects of the production process. Gerhard Steidl is furthermore active as a curator, conceiving and producing photography exhibitions worldwide. Recent exhibitions include Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947–2017; Karl Lagerfeld, The Little Black Jacket (for Chanel); Karl Lagerfeld, The Glory of Water (for Fendi); Alessandra Borghese/Alessandra d’Urso, For Friends (for Louis Vuitton); Meisterkreis/Jim Rakete, German Excellence (for the German Federal Foreign Office), Khalid Al-Thani, Here is My Secret, and Tomasz Gudzowaty Proof. Gerhard Steidl will have a conversation with John Gossage on Sunday 3 June 12:00, documenta-Halle Kassel.