'Untitled (work model)'. 1954. Gelatin silver print. Mounted. Labeled with name and title. 13 5/8 x 10 1/2"

An early pioneer of experimental and surreal photography, Tietgen's work today can be found in the Museum of Modern Art. Tietgen initially fled Germany in the 1930s with a number of his friends and fellow artists, following crack downs on homosexual activity before the start of the Second World War. Tietgen then established himself in New York with a new wave of urban photographers. His use of long exposures and slow shutterspeeds align with Alfred Stieglitz's New York work. Like Stiegletz, Tietgen shot dense urban scenes throughout the city in Time Square and other hubs, with an eye for abstraction and form, rather than documentation as the bugeoning medium had become known for. Tietgen brought these principles to his male nudes and studio figurative work as well, playing with the eye of the camera and possibilities of advancements in film technology.