Thomas Ruff
Thomas Ruff
Skira, Milan, Italy, 2009
Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev
pages 312
first edition
dimensions 28.5 × 24.5 cm, hardcover
language English
ISBN 978-88-6130-297-6
ARTISTS
IMAGES
Thomas Ruff

German photographer who lives and works in Düsseldorf. He has been described as "a master of edited and reimagined images. In the summer of 1974, Ruff acquired his first camera and after attending an evening class in the basic techniques of photography he started to experiment, taking shots similar to those he had seen in many amateur photography magazines. During his studies in Düsseldorf and inspired by the lectures of Benjamin HD Buchloh, Ruff developed his method of conceptual serial photography. Ruff began photographing landscapes, but while he was still a student he transitioned to the interiors of German living quarters, with typical features of the 1950s to 1970s. This was followed by similar views of buildings and portraits of friends and acquaintances from the Düsseldorf art and music scene, initially in small formats. Ruff studied photography from 1977 to 1985 with Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Art Academy).