Andreas Gursky
His Encylopedia of Earth at the Hayward, London
The highly-acclaimed German photographer Andreas Gursky makes his UK debut at the reopening of the Hayward Gallery with his current exhibit now on view until April 22. The exhibition features 60 of the artist’s dynamic photographs. The collection includes some of Gursky’s most iconic images from the 1980s until now.
The 63-year-old photographer’s work is recognizable in his use of both expansiveness and detail. The artist was interested in capturing a more documentary-like view of the vast, yet sometimes mundane things in our culture and the affects of globalization. In his own words, Gursky said, “I pursue one goal–the encyclopedia of earth.” Ralph Runoff, the director of the Hayward Gallery looks upon Gursky as one of the most prolific artists of today. “Andreas has a knack for picking subjects that relate to key issues of our time,” he said.
The artist focuses on expanse and distance, so as to allow the individual to draw its own conclusion from the photos. In an article for the The Guardian, he said, “While my images are all comprised of many details–which you can explore in depth because of the high resolution–that’s not what they are about. Each one is always a world of its own, created.” Gursky’s work is all about breaking boundaries. In 2011, his photo entitled Rhein II, became the highest-priced item to be sold at a Christies auction to date at $4,338,500.
The Hayward Gallery celebrates its 50th anniversary with this exhibit and recently reopened after two years of extensive refurbishment.
