Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky is a German photographer who's work is characterised by tension between the clarity and formal nature of his photographs and the ambiguous intent and meaning they present, occasioned by their insertion into a 'high-art' environment. He was influenced by the documentary approach of Bernd and Hilla Becher; he was one of the first photographers at the Becher's school to use colour photography. He is known for his enormous architecture and landscape photographs, often he'll use an aerial vantage point, frequently identifying systematised aspects of culture. Before the 1990's Gursky did not produce his work on a digital platform, however he discusses his dependence on computers to edit and enhance his photos, as well as for the purpose of increasing the apparent scope of his subject in terms of size. This use of post-production has a dramatic impact on the scale . Patterns are often seen in Gursky's images through geometric shapes and their repetition, sometimes they act as leading lines, guiding your gaze. In his images he doesn't always show the whole of the scene before you, only revealing part of buildings and such before you however through the colours and patterns within these images it results in being visually intriguing and appealing to the eye.




Sources:
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/andreas-gursky-2349
http://c4gallery.com/artist/database/andreas-gursky/andreas-gursky.html