Ten years after the establishment of the Ursula Arnold Archivs der Ostdeutschen Sparkassen Stiftung at the MdbK in the fall of 2016, the photographer’s body of work was once again closely examined with the benefit of hindsight. The ongoing digitization of the collection makes it possible to rediscover the full scope of her work, much of which remains largely unknown.
An exhibition featuring Ursula Arnold’s designs, project sketches, and photographs is planned. The exhibition will focus on landscape photographs.
Ursula Arnold (1929–2012), née Musche, enrolled in the photography program at the HGB in Leipzig in 1950. Although she began criticizing the curriculum after only a short time and distanced herself from the school, she was able to complete her degree in the summer of 1955. Unable to find work as a freelance photojournalist in Leipzig, she moved to Berlin with her husband and son. There, she began a career spanning more than 25 years as a camerawoman at Deutscher Fernsehfunk.
After her divorce in 1960, she took photographs in Berlin in her spare time. Her work, characterized by social documentary photography, was created in secret over the following decades. Some of these photographs from Berlin were exhibited and published after 1990.
Inspired by a working visit to Theodor Fontane in Brandenburg, Arnold discovered a new visual language for herself. From 1972 to 1995, she photographed regularly in black-and-white and color. She was never able to complete a book or exhibition project. Her critical view of the landscape and cultural heritage remained hidden.
