Research Log - Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky is a German photographer famous for capturing patterns as well as colour on buildings. Although his main subjects are buildings, he also photographs libraries, grocery stores, etc; places which are colourful or have repetition and therefore create a pattern. Before the 1990s, Gursky did not edit any of his pictures but ever since then, he replies on computers to edit and enhance his pictures. As I was researching his work, I've noticed that he doesn't include any close up of people in his photographs; you can see people in the buildings but that's all. I've also noticed that his pictures are always taken at the same angle. His pictures are all similar when you look at them carefully but the way in which he edits them digitally or manipulates them makes them seem very different.

Like in most of his pictures, this one is portrait and consist of a building creating patterns with its windows and the lights/different rooms showing different colours. This picture also shows tones as we can see the different shades all over the buildings from all the different rooms.

In this picture, the pattern comes from the structure of the building. The different floors create an unusual, curvy pattern, which Gursky has captured beautifully. The light from the skylight creates shadows in the picture, showing the element of form.

This picture is different to a typical one that Gursky would take. Although, the elements of colour and pattern are still being portrayed, the location isn't one he would normally choose however, he saw what this scene could offer and captured it.

This picture is similar to all of his other ones, showing pattern as well as the element of colour. However, this picture in on a larger scale, capturing the whole building instead of just part of it.

Whilst looking at his work, I've discovered a couple of techniques he uses to show off the elements of pattern and colour. The constant use of the same angle brings originality to his pictures and anyone can guess that a picture is his within a few seconds of looking at it; he has a special way of presenting his pictures so that they are unique and contain his 'signature'. However as I looked at more and more of his work, I got bored as they were all fairly similar. The technique used was still interesting but it's being used in every single one of his work.

I haven't really been influenced by this photographer's work. I still think his pictures are good and they have originality but I'm not really impressed because they are all really repetitive and the excitement found in his pictures began to fade away as I looked through more and more of his work. It became too predictable, thus boring. I think his ideas are great but way too similar and if I decided to replicate some of his work, I won't spend too much time on it because I think I may get bored after a while.

I think this picture of mine is fairly similar to Gursky's work. The angle at which the picture is taken at is the same as the one this photographer always uses. Although the pattern shown in my picture is not really similar to Gursky's, it's still a simple manmade pattern, which is what most of his work consists of. Different tones are shown in my picture, which is very similar to his pictures as they always portray a variety of tones.

Overall, Gursky is great at capturing some of the formal elements but the same techniques are being used over and over again. I think his work would be a bit more exciting if he tried using different techniques and maybe change the angle in which his pictures are being taken at as they are all the exact same angle.