Barbara Davatz: As Time Goes By, 1972 to 2014

In 1982 Barbara Davatz (*1944) portrayed 12 young couples from the Zurich scene who were either lovers, friends or related. She photographed them against a neutral backdrop, focussing on the expressive force of the sitters’ faces, gaze, body language and the subtle interplay of clothing and accessories. This laid the foundation stone for a long-term study lasting more than three decades: in 1988, 1997 and 2014 she continued the series of portraits with the same people, some of whom were in new relationships. She thus produced not only a unique study on ageing, but also granted insight into changes in society and in styles.

Ultimately “As Time Goes By” is a work about visible and invisible powers of attraction between people – a classic of Swiss photography, published anew by Edition Patrick Frey in a more comprehensive form and scheduled to be shown at the Fotostiftung Schweiz for the first time in full. The exhibition will be complemented by other conceptual portrait series which began with the striking images of the staff of a factory dated 1972. It is evident in all these works just how consistently and independently Barbara Davatz realises her projects.