Ryszard Horowitz Photocomposer
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Artist Link: Ryszard Horowitz
Ryszard Horowitz (b.1939) is recognized and celebrated as a pioneer of special effects photography that predates digital imaging. Ryszard Horowitz was born in Krakow, Poland on May 5th 1939. Four months later, the Nazis invaded his homeland. Ryszard and his entire family underwent separation and were forced into concentration camps. Miraculously, most of Ryszard's family survived the horrors at the forced labor ghetto camps and concentration camps, including Auschwitz. They survived, in part, due to the help of Oskar Schindler. At the war's end, five-year old Ryszard was reunited with his family. They were amongst the few Jewish families who were able to re-establish their lives in Krakow. Ryszard is one of the youngest known survivors of Auschwitz.
“I assemble together my seemingly unrelated images, taken at different times, in distant parts of the world and create seamless compositions. I want all the elements to appear in the same space frozen in time.” – Ryszard Horowitz “He prefers to be called a “Photocomposer” but whatever he is called, whether photocomposer or photographer, Ryszard Horowitz is one of America’s outstanding image makers. Long before the availability of Photoshop and other digital imaging tools, Horowitz was creating complex, technically difficult photographic composites. He has a powerful aesthetic sense with his subjects using contrasting elements in the relationships within his compositions. Consistently, his favorite theme is ambiguity. He connects subjects in his imagery in a dream-like setting, one that never could appear in reality but one that perceptually the viewer wants to force to be real. His dramatic sense of composition consistently makes a strong blending of the subject to the frame.”
- R. Roger Remington, Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology.
![Manipulated photographic image of a white dove in a whirlpool of water with blue sky and clouds](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Waterscape_2006.jpg)
![Apologia, 1985 Manipulated photographic image of a woman's body split in half and heading in two directions with doorway behind her](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Appolonia_1985.jpg?itok=Ne-6lqXk)
Apologia, 1985
![Bird Head, 2009 Manipulated photographic image of a woman's back and two winged birds as her head](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Birdhead_2009_0.jpg?itok=LaUkRL70)
Bird Head, 2009
![Allegory, 1992 Manipulated photographic image of a naked man and woman holding a large sheet music paper while standing on a piano key board that is splitting open on a turbulent ocean](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Allegory_1992_0.jpg?itok=IXYixNmc)
Allegory, 1992
![Kosinski, 1991 Photographic image of a man in three-quarter view. His prominent eye is emerald green.](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Kosinski_1991_0.jpg?itok=CWjj8DrW)
Kosinski, 1991
![Magic Rabbit, 1992 Manipulated photographic image of a seated man with a computer for a head with a rainbow of color and rabbits streaming out of the screen.](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_MagicRabbit_1992.jpg?itok=q-1td_m5)
Magic Rabbit, 1992
![Extasy, 1978 Manipulated photographic image of a woman's legs straddling a cello](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Extasy_1978.jpg?itok=YFG_-aUu)
Extasy, 1978
![Waterscape, 2006 Manipulated photographic image of a white dove in a whirlpool of water with blue sky and clouds](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/RyszardHorowitz_Waterscape_2006_0.jpg?itok=uZ8pBZxY)
Waterscape, 2006
![Exhibition graphic Exhibition graphic with text 'Ryszard Horowitz, Photocomposer. Four thumbnail images of photographs, portrait of a man, woman cut in two, woman modeling a large ring, two naked people standing on a piano keyboard.](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/Ryszard%20Horowitz%20Email%203%20Mar%202016.jpeg?itok=s-Njfs-6)
Exhibition graphic
![R. Roger Remington, Ryszard Horowitz, Naomi Horowitz, Wendy Marks Image of four people standing together](/universitygallery/sites/rit.edu.universitygallery/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/Roger%20Remington%2C%20Ryszard%20Horowitz%2C%20Naomi%20Horowitz%2C%20Wendy%20Marks%20-%20%20March%202016.jpg?itok=nWWcNGpf)
R. Roger Remington, Ryszard Horowitz, Naomi Horowitz, Wendy Marks