Lecture Notes: Andreas Gursky - Landscape Photographer

Introduction

• Andreas Gursky: German photographer, known for urban landscapes and interiors.
• Notable achievement: Photograph "Rhine 2" sold for $4.3 million in 2011.
• Uses digital manipulation to explore boundaries of photography.

Artistic Approach

• Mixes real world and fiction in photography.
• Technically complex and costly processes in capturing images.
• Enlarges images up to 20 feet for exhibitions.

Themes and Subject Matter

• Focus on globalization and modern consumerism.
• Interested in man-made structures and systems.
• Teachers: Berndt and Hilla Becher, known for documenting industrial structures.
• Influence of Bechers in formality, repetition, and geometric shapes.

Notable Works and Techniques

Salerno Harbor (1990)

• First pivotal image using digital manipulation.
• Rooted in documentary photography; aesthetic aims.
• Uses post-production to alter reality.

Rhine 2

• Statement on human control over nature.
• Edited power station out to improve composition.
• Comparison to Barnett Newman's abstract expressionist style.

99 Cent (1999)

• Series on discount stores, major recognition.
• Overwhelming color and detail, viewer's focus disrupted.
• Commentary on consumerism excess.

Montparnasse (1993)

• Composite of two shots, uniformity in structure.
• Captures building's spirit, not distorted by optics.
• Comparison to Mondrian painting.

German Chancellors

• Fictional scene with Angela Merkel and predecessors.
• Dystopian view of political structures.

Contemporary Work

• Exploration of digital photography challenges.
• Combines painterly aspects with digital glitches.
• Example: Amazon Phoenix, Arizona - system built around barcodes.

Philosophical Themes

• Critique of systems not human-friendly.
• Commentary on capitalism, communism, and globalization.
• Leaves interpretation open to the viewer.

Conclusion

• Gursky creates metaphors for cultural attitudes.
• Encourages personal engagement with subjects.
• Ends with an invitation to reflect on desensitized environments.