Andreas Gursky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andreas Gursky
Gursky in 2013
Born	(1955-01-15) 15 January 1955 (age 70) Leipzig, East Germany (now Germany)
Known for	Photography
Notable work	Rhein II
Movement	Düsseldorf School of Photography

Andreas Gursky (born 15 January 1955) is a famous German photographer. He is also a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in Germany.

Gursky is known for his very large colour photographs. These often show buildings or landscapes from a high viewpoint. His pictures are some of the most expensive by living photographers. For example, his photo Rhein II sold for over $4.3 million in 2011. At that time, it was the most expensive photo ever sold at an auction.

Andreas Gursky shares a studio in Düsseldorf with other artists. This studio used to be an electricity station. Famous architects helped turn it into a space for artists.

Early Life and Learning Photography

Andreas Gursky was born in Leipzig, East Germany, in 1955. His family moved to West Germany when he was very young. They settled in Düsseldorf by 1957.

From 1978 to 1981, he studied visual communication at the Universität Gesamthochschule Essen. He learned from photographers like Otto Steinert. Later, from 1981 to 1987, Gursky went to the Düsseldorf Art Academy. Here, he was taught by Hilla and Bernd Becher. They were a famous photography team. They were known for taking detailed pictures of industrial buildings. Gursky learned a lot from their careful and organized way of working.

His Photography Style

Before the 1990s, Gursky did not change his photos using computers. But since then, he has used computers to edit and improve his pictures. He creates images that show spaces much larger than they appear in real life.

One art critic called his pictures "vast" and "unbelievable." Another critic described seeing Gursky's large photos as a special experience. He said they felt like old landscape paintings. Yet, they still looked like very detailed photographs. Gursky's photos show the modern world from a distance.

Many of Gursky's photos are taken from a high place. This lets you see a huge scene, including everything in the middle and around the edges. This wide view can make you think about how connected the world is. Gursky often photographs large, man-made places. These include tall buildings at night, office lobbies, and big stores.

The Museum of Modern Art once said Gursky's art is about "unembellished observation." This means he observes things without adding too much emotion. His style is often seen as mysterious and straightforward. He doesn't usually explain or change his works much beyond the digital edits.

Famous Photographs

One of his well-known photos is 99 Cent (1999). It shows the inside of a discount store in Los Angeles. The picture shows rows of shelves filled with products. These products look like colourful patterns.

Another famous work is Rhein II (1999). This photo shows a part of the Rhine river near Düsseldorf. It looks like a simple view of the river. But it also looks like an abstract picture with horizontal lines of different colours.

In his series Ocean I-VI (2009–2010), Gursky used satellite photos. He improved these images using different pictures he found online.

Art Market and Value

Most of Gursky's photographs are made in limited numbers, usually six copies.

His photos are very valuable. From 2011 to 2022, his photo Rhein II held the record for the most expensive photograph sold at auction. It sold for $4,338,500. In 2013, another of his photos, Chicago Board of Trade III, sold for over $3.2 million.

Exhibitions Around the World

Gursky first showed his work in Germany in 1985. His first solo show in a gallery was in Cologne in 1988.

His first museum show in the United States was in Milwaukee in 1998. The Museum of Modern Art in New York also held a big show of his work in 2001. His art has been shown in many important international exhibitions. These include the Venice Biennale and the Biennale of Sydney.

Public Collections

Gursky's work can be found in many public art collections. Some of these include:

See Also

In Spanish: Andreas Gursky para niños

• List of most expensive photographs
• Aerial landscape art
• Contemporary art
• Globalization