Michael Schmidt has died aged 68 following a serious illness. The news comes just a few days after his work, Lebensmittel, was awarded the prestigious Prix Pictet photography prize at the V&A, London. The illness had prevented him attending the ceremony to accept the award.
A statement from his gallery, Nordenhake, said: “We are mourning the loss of long-time friend and distinguished artist Michael Schmidt. He died last Saturday (24 May) after serious illness in Berlin.”
Schmidt was born in Berlin in 1945 and initially studied painting before teaching himself photography in the mid-1960s. He is known for his works capturing stark concrete landscapes, shot in black and white, as well as images of Berlin residents. His Prix Pictet winning work investigates the ways in which we feed ourselves and features a series of images depicting the production, processing, packaging and presentation of food.
His work has been exhibited internationally on numerous occasions and is held in many public collections around the world including Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; Museum of Modern Art, New York and V&A, London.
Prix Pictet at the V&A, including Michael Schmidt’s Lebensmittel, continues until 14 June. www.prixpictet.com
