Photography by: Ferenc Berko

THE LYRICAL BERKO

1949 was the year of music, of intellect, and of modernism’s birth in Aspen.

Inside the Saarinen-designed music tent, ideas flowed from the podium, and my grandfather, Hungarian-born Ferenc Berko, drew inspiration from the subtle beauty of the canvas tent above. Focusing his lens on its patterns, he composed this stunning abstract images. Their simplicity captures the Bauhaus principles of line, shape, sparseness, and form.
Today, rediscovered and showcased as prints in the Residences at the Little Nell, these works are striking for their contemporary aesthetic and their relevance to Aspen’s musical and artistic histories. My grandfather’s photos do more than tell a story; they are an integral part of Aspen’s modernist heritage.
“Details out of context evoke mystery,” he once said. “They allow me to discover the landscape more slowly.” It’s this mystery, perhaps, that captures the senses in his “Musical Instruments” series from 1954. His photographs encourage us, as we enjoy music in the tent this summer, to appreciate the small details.  —MIRTE BERKO MALLORY



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