Biography Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky Paris Montparnesse 1993

http://www.c4gallery.com/artist/database/andreas-gursky/andreas-gursky.html

Andreas Gurksy a German Photographer born in Leipzig East Germany in 1955.  He came from a photographic background, as his father Willy Gursky was a commercial photographer.  Andreas Gursky studied under the class of Bernd Becher in Dusseldorf in 1981 until 1987.

When I think of Andreas Gursky I think BIG is too SMALL, it's ENORMOUS in size and scale.  My favourite image is of Paris, Montparnasse 1993 a chromogenic colour print on paper and Perspex size 134cm x 319cm. To create this image Gursky used digital montage for it to work visually.  The building was too big to take in one shot so he merged two separate images digitally together to create one.  In doing this the image became sharper and the wide angle distorts the camera stand point, where is it?

Andreas Gursky images are extra large, huge, majestic and examines the relationship of the mass and the individual, interest in a global cultural and the aesthetic contrast between a painting and his minute detailed photographic method. Gursky is looking at human behaviour in a monumental arena in great detail, but with a cold detachment.  People in his images are tiny dots which fade into the background.  We as the viewer cannot connect with the people, only the mass architecture and space.  His images are stunning to view and  they look like collage of abstract colour.  His images are also digitally manipulated and takes months to finish and get just right.

His photographs are considered Art as the attention to detail can pass as a painting, one of his photograph titled The Rhine II fetched 2.7 million at action and is the most expensive photograph, its beautiful, vibrant and memorable.

Andreas Gursky Pans, Montparnasse 1993 reminds me of the painter David Hepher’s Beautiful Tower Blocks.

Albany Flats' (1977-79) 

Camberwell Nocturne Painting oil on canvas 1984

http://transpont.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/david-hephers-beautiful-tower-blocks.html

This painting depicts the Bradenham Block on the Aylesbury Estate.  It is part of a series depicting tower blocks in South London, others include Stockwell flats, Walworth flats and Peckham flats.  The detail in both painting and photography is amazingly detailed and interesting to look at.  It like living, breathing visual art.  To quote David Hepher: ‘ I like best to work from council blocks, preferably stained and eroded by the dirt and the weather, where the facial appearance is continually changed by the people who live there, their comings and goings, and the changing decor. I would like to think that the pictures could make people look differently at the flats around them, to see beauty in objects that they normally dismiss as ugly.’

This is a video on Andreas Gursky life it's very interesting, enjoy watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9Vzeks35Y


References

Golden, R., (2008) Masters of Photography. Classic photographic artist of our time, London Carlton books.

Hacking, J., (2012) The Dusseldorf School. London Thames & Hudson.

 Jeffery, I., (1997) The Photo Book. London Phaiden Press .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9Vzeks35Y (Accessed 23/4/13)









http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/andreas-gursky.html