Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky (born 15 January 1955) is a German photographer and professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany.[1]

Andreas Gursky
Gursky in 2013 at the K21 Museum of Contemporary Art in Düsseldorf
Born (1955-01-15) 15 January 1955
Leipzig, East Germany (now Germany)
NationalityGerman
Known forPhotography
Notable work
Rhein II
Websitewww.andreasgursky.com

He is known for his large format architecture and landscape colour photographs, often using a high point of view in most of his photos.

Gursky shares a studio with Laurenz Berges, Thomas Ruff and Axel Hütte on the Hansaallee, in Düsseldorf.[2] The building, a former electricity station, was transformed into an artists studio and living quarters, in 2001, by architects Herzog & de Meuron, of Tate Modern fame.[3] In 2010–11, the architects worked again on the building, designing a gallery in the basement.[4]

Education

Gursky was born in Leipzig, East Germany in 1955. His family relocated to West Germany, moving to Essen and then Düsseldorf by the end of 1957.[5] From 1978 to 1981, he attended the Universität Gesamthochschule Essen, where he studied visual communication, led by photographers Otto Steinert and Michael Schmidt.[6] Gursky is said to have attended the university to hear Otto Steinert, however Steinert died in 1978 and Gursky only got to attend a few of his lectures.[7]

Between 1981 and 1987 at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, Gursky received critical training and influence from his teachers Hilla and Bernd Becher,[8][9] a photographic team known for their distinctive, dispassionate method of systematically cataloging industrial machinery and architecture.[10] Gursky demonstrates a similarly methodical approach in his own larger-scale photography. Other notable influences are the British landscape photographer John Davies, whose highly detailed high vantage point images had a strong effect on the street level photographs Gursky was then making, and to a lesser degree the American photographer Joel Sternfeld.

Career and style

Before the 1990s, Gursky did not digitally manipulate his images.[11] In the years since, Gursky has been frank about his reliance on computers to edit and enhance his pictures, creating an art of spaces larger than the subjects photographed. Writing in The New Yorker magazine, the critic Peter Schjeldahl called these pictures "vast," "splashy," "entertaining," and "literally unbelievable."[12] In the same publication, critic Calvin Tomkins described Gursky as one of the "two masters" of the "Düsseldorf" school. In 2001, Tomkins described the experience of confronting one of Gursky's large works:[8]

The first time I saw photographs by Andreas Gursky...I had the disorienting sensation that something was happening—happening to me, I suppose, although it felt more generalized than that. Gursky's huge, panoramic colour prints—some of them up to six feet high by ten feet long—had the presence, the formal power, and in several cases the majestic aura of nineteenth-century landscape paintings, without losing any of their meticulously detailed immediacy as photographs. Their subject matter was the contemporary world, seen dispassionately and from a distance.[8]

The perspective in many of Gursky's photographs is drawn from an elevated vantage point. This position enables the viewer to encounter scenes, encompassing both centre and periphery, which are ordinarily beyond reach.[13] This sweeping perspective has been linked to an engagement with globalization.[14] Visually, Gursky is drawn to large, anonymous, man-made spaces—high-rise facades at night, office lobbies, stock exchanges, the interiors of big box retailers (See his print 99 Cent II Diptychon). In a 2001 retrospective, New York's Museum of Modern Art described the artist's work, "a sophisticated art of unembellished observation. It is thanks to the artfulness of Gursky's fictions that we recognize his world as our own."[15] Gursky's style is enigmatic and deadpan. There is little to no explanation or manipulation on the works. His photography is straightforward.[16]

Gursky's Dance Valley festival photograph, taken near Amsterdam in 1995, depicts attendees facing a DJ stand in a large arena, beneath strobe lighting effects. The pouring smoke resembles a human hand, holding the crowd in stasis. After completing the print, Gursky explained the only music he now listens to is the anonymous, beat-heavy style known as Trance, as its symmetry and simplicity echoes his own work—while playing towards a deeper, more visceral emotion.

The photograph 99 Cent (1999) was taken at a 99 Cents Only store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and depicts its interior as a stretched horizontal composition of parallel shelves, intersected by vertical white columns, in which the abundance of "neatly labeled packets are transformed into fields of colour, generated by endless arrays of identical products, reflecting off the shiny ceiling" (Wyatt Mason).[17] Rhein II (1999), depicts a stretch of the river Rhine outside Düsseldorf, immediately legible as a view of a straight stretch of water, but also as an abstract configuration of horizontal bands of colour of varying widths.[18] In his six-part series Ocean I-VI (2009–2010), Gursky used high-definition satellite photographs which he augmented from various picture sources on the Internet.[19]

Publications
  • Andreas Gursky. Cologne: Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, 1988. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Krefeld: Museum Haus Lange, 1989. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Siemens Kulturprogramm: Projekte 1992. Munich: Siemens AG, 1992. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky.Cologne: Buchhandlung Walther König; Zurich: Kunsthalle, 1992. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Fotografien 1984–1993. Hamburg: Deichtorhallen; Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel, 1994. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Montparnasse. Cologne: Portikus & Oktagon, 1995. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Malmö: Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art, Malmö; Cologne, Oktagon, 1995. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Images. London: Tate, 1995. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky: Fotografien 1984 bis heute. Düsseldorf: Kunsthalle Düsseldorf; Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1998. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Fotografien 1994–1998. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz, 1998. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Currents 27. Andreas Gursky. Houston: Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, 1998. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. New York: Museum of Modern Art; Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2001. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Paris: Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, 2002. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Cologne: Snoeck, 2007. Edited by Thomas Weski. ISBN 978-3936859621. With an essay in English and German by Weski, and a text by Don DeLillo, "In Yankee Stadium". Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Basel: Kunstmuseum; Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2007. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Kaiserringträger der Stadt Goslar 2008. Goslar: Mönchehaus Museum; Goslar, Verein zur Förderung moderner Kunst, 2008. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Architektur. Darmstadt: Institut Mathildenhöhe; Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz, 2008. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Werke – Works 80-08. Kunstmuseen Krefeld/ Moderna Museet, Stockholm/ Vancouver Art Gallery; Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2008. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Los Angeles: Gagosian Gallery; New York: Rizzoli, 2010. Exhibition catalogue. Two volumes.
  • Andreas Gursky at Louisiana. Louisiana: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art; Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2011. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Bangkok. Düsseldorf: Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast; Göttingen: Steidl, 2012. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Andreas Gursky. Tokyo: The National Art Centre; Osaka: The National Museum of Art; Tokyo/Osaka: Yomiuri Shimbun, 2013. Exhibition catalogue.
  • Landscapes. Exhibition catalogue. Water Mills: Parrish Art Museum; New York: Rizzoli, 2015.
  • Andreas Gursky. Steidl/Hayward Gallery, 2018. Exhibition catalog.

Exhibitions

Gursky first exhibited his work in Germany in 1985. His first solo gallery show was held at Galerie Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne, in 1988. Gursky's first one-person museum exhibition in the United States opened at the Milwaukee Art Museum in 1998, and his work was the subject of a retrospective organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 2001, and touring). Further museum exhibitions include Werke-Works 80-08, Kunstmuseen Krefeld (2008, and touring); and Haus der Kunst, Munich (2007, and touring). His work has been seen in international exhibitions, including the Internationale Foto-Triennale in Esslingen (1989 and 1995), the Venice Biennale (1990 and 2004), and the Biennale of Sydney (1996 and 2000).[5]

Collections

Gursky's work is held in the following public collections:

Art market

Most of Gursky's photographs come in editions of six with two artist's proofs.[48] As of end 2011, Gursky holds a new record for highest price paid at auction for a single photographic image. His print Rhein II sold for US$4,338,500 at Christie's, New York on 8 November 2011.[49][50] In 2013, Chicago Board of Trade III (1999–2009) sold for 2.2 million pounds, an auction record for a Gursky exchange photo.[51]

See also

References
  1. Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. "Prof. Andreas Gursky". Archived from the original on 2015-07-08. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. Ruff, Thomas. "FiftyFifty Gallery, Biography of". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. de Meuron, Herzog. "Project 172". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  4. de Meuron, Herzog. "Project 340". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  5. Andreas Gursky profile, Guggenheim.org. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  6. "PDF excerpt biography Andreas Gursky" (PDF).
  7. "fotofeinkost | Andreas Gursky Werke 80-08". January 4, 2009.
  8. Tomkins, Calvin. The New Yorker. "The Big Picture." 22 January 2001.
  9. Biro, Matthew (2012). "From Analogue to Digital Photography: Bernd and Hilla Becher and Andreas Gursky". History of Photography. doi:10.1080/03087298.2012.686242. ISSN 0308-7298 – via Taylor & Francis.
  10. Marien, Mary Warner. Photography. 2006, pp. 371-72
  11. Warren, Lynne. Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography. 2006, page 644
  12. Schjeldahl, Peter. The New Yorker. "Reality Clicks." 27 May 2002.
  13. Andreas Gursky: New work, 23 March—5 May 2007 White Cube, London, UK.
  14. Williams-Wynn, Christopher (2016). "Images of equivalence: exchange-value in Andreas Gursky's photographs and production method". Photography & Culture. 9 (1): 3–24. doi:10.1080/17514517.2016.1153264. ISSN 1751-4517 – via Taylor & Francis.
  15. Museum of Modern Art. "Andreas Gursky." Exhibition Catalog, 2001
  16. David Grosz, "From Shore to Gursky, Part I", Art+Auction, retrieved 16 April 2008
  17. Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent, 2001 Archived 2014-09-05 at the Wayback Machine UBS Art Collection, Zürich. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  18. The Andreas Gursky: Rhine II (1999) Tate Collection.
  19. Andreas Gursky, 1 May-21 June 2010, Sprüth Magers, Berlin.
  20. "Centre d'édition contemporaine, Genève » Andreas GurskyPhotographies". Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  21. "Andreas Gursky". kunsthallezurich.ch. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  22. Tate. "Andreas Gursky: Images – Exhibition at Tate Liverpool". Tate Etc. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  23. "all exhibitions since 1967 – Kunsthalle Düsseldorf". kunsthalle-duesseldorf.de. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  24. "Andreas Gursky – Photographs 1994–1998 – Exhibitions – Explore – Fotomuseum Winterthur". fotomuseum.ch. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  25. "1990s Exhibitions". Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  26. "Andreas Gursky: Photographs 1994–1998". Serpentine Galleries. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  27. "Andreas Gursky photographs 1994–1998". Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  28. Stevens, By Mark. "Pixel Visionary". New York. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  29. "Andreas Gursky". museoreinasofia.es. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  30. "Andreas Gursky". centrepompidou.fr. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  31. "Andreas Gursky". MCA. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  32. Baker, Kenneth (18 February 2003). "Gursky has an eye for the big picture". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  33. "Andreas Gursky". Haus der Kunst. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  34. "Andreas Gursky – İstanbul Modern". istanbulmodern.org. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  35. "people – Sharjah Art Foundation". sharjahart.org. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  36. "First Exhibition for Andreas Gursky in Australia at National Gallery of Victoria". artdaily.com. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  37. zephir.ch. "Andreas Gursky". kunstmuseumbasel.ch. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  38. "Andreas Gursky". Krefeld. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  39. "Andreas Gursky". Moderna Museet i Stockholm. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  40. Griffin, Kevin. "The photographic journey of Andreas Gursky". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  41. "Andreas Gursky". mathildenhoehe.eu. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  42. "Andreas Gursky". ngv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  43. "Andreas Gursky". Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  44. Vik, Natasha (27 June 2013). "Andreas Gursky". Japan Times. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  45. "Andreas Gursky". nmao.go.jp. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  46. "Andreas Gursky, review: Great and fascinating detail". The Independent. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  47. Cumming, Laura (21 January 2018). "Andreas Gursky review – a world in dizzying high definition". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  48. Sarah Thornton Bedfellows. Two artists who understand the beauty of business, The Economist; 20 September 2009.
  49. Public Lot Details (November 2011)
  50. Maev Kennedy (11 November 2011). "Andreas Gursky's Rhine II photograph sells for $4.3m". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  51. Scott Reyburn (June 27, 2013), Bacon's Lover Triptych Fetches $17.3 Million in London, Bloomberg L.P.. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
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