Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky's photographs feature opaque landscapes that are simultaneously alluring and frightening, offering a prophetic view of the world after tomorrow. Whether inhabited or deserted, these spaces reflect ongoing political and social turbulence.

Biography of Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky was born in 1955 in Leipzig. His family moved to West Germany shortly after his birth. Gursky attended Folkwangschule in Essen, the country's premier institution for professional photographers. His early works, characterized by their simplicity, were heavily influenced by his time at Folkwang, where the emphasis was on the straightforward techniques of photojournalism.

However, from 1981 to 1987, Gursky expanded his education at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. There, he was greatly influenced by his teachers, the renowned conceptual photography duo Hilla and Bernd Becher, known for their systematic approach to documenting industrial machinery and architecture.

Alongside Thomas Ruff, Candida Höfer, Thomas Struth, and Axel Hütte, Andreas Gursky is part of the renowned Düsseldorf School. All of these artists studied at the Kunstakademie and developed distinctive bodies of work based on a refined and conceptual aesthetic. 

The artist often employs cranes and even helicopters, navigating through complex negotiations and pursuing various legislative permissions to capture unusual sights or people. For instance, at the famous Bahrain racetrack, Gursky spent two hours patiently shooting from different viewpoints before merging the images into a single composition. He is known for persistently requesting higher viewpoints from organizers to capture the immense scale and precision of events, such as the vast propagandist spectacle in North Korea.

Gursky's fascination with the daily and spontaneously choreographed movements of people in public spaces is evident in his works from the 1990s. For instance, in 1992, the artist captured a bustling scene at Charles de Gaulle airport, with people hurrying through the terminal. Then, in 1995, he captured the atmosphere of a rave party during the Dance Valley festival. This image portrays a mesmerized crowd facing a DJ amidst smoke and lights. Intriguingly, Gursky is a great fan of electronic music, which is reflected in several series dedicated to rave culture.

Throughout the years, Andreas Gursky has exhibited his work in various solo and group exhibitions, with notable appearances at the Venice Biennale in 1990 and 2004, as well as the Biennale of Sydney in 1996 and 2000. His works are held in numerous prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London, as well as in private collections worldwide. Gursky is a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and is one of the best-selling photographers globally. 

Andreas Gursky's Art Style

The Bechers' lessons refined Andreas Gursky's approach, leading him to adopt a similarly methodical style in his own large-scale photography. Another significant influence came from British landscape photographer John Davies, whose highly detailed, high vantage point images greatly impacted Gursky's street-level photographs. Interestingly, before the 1990s, the artist refrained from digitally manipulating his images. However, advancements in technology during that time offered him the option to enhance his images in terms of size and quality.

Despite the shift to digital processes, the artist continues to use a large-format film camera. His images are scanned and meticulously manipulated, often composed from multiple photographs. A notable characteristic of Gursky's work is the elevated perspective found in many of his photographs. This particular viewpoint appears to be a deliberate part of his concept, as it seems that by capturing both the center and periphery, Andreas Gursky aims to challenge the realms of globalization.

Gursky's images serve as a visual chronicle of the global capitalist machine. The artist emphasizes that he is not aiming to make a political statement; instead, he sees his works as notes that aid him in better comprehending the mechanisms of the contemporary world.