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Lot Essay
Specialist Jacob Uecker discusses Ferrari I with Beat Wismer, General Director of the Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, on the occasion of the Andreas Gursky retrospective.
What do you think makes the Formula 1 so fascinating for Gursky? As you know it is a topic to which he has returned a couple of times, not only in Ferrari I, but also in such works as Bahrain I or F1 Pitstop exhibited at your Museum.
The racing sport has a great fascination for him and I think that when you look at Ferrari I it is not a picture of the race but, what interests him here is this choreography of the pit-stop, every hand movement has to be precise so that this thing gets back onto the track. I think that this perfect coordination of the entire team, around one thing, around one machine, which you actually don't see, I think that this ballet type choreography, this is what fascinates him.
Do you also think that it has something to do with the fusion of technology and the human? He himself works with a highly trained team, who work with computers and technical equipment to accomplish his photographs, in a way that technology is an extension of human capabilities, or for example the camera as an extension of the human hand. Do you think this plays a role?.
Indeed, I think this always plays a role. What is interesting here, he is on the other side of the spectator, he has a view which the spectator does not have, and because for him the photograph is a type of stage on which this, as you will, ballet plays out, this is what I actually find fascinating with this shot.
It is almost like a spectacle which we observe, which on the other hand the spectators on the balcony are observing as well.
Exactly.
And I think this is also true for the most part, as some of Gursky's works have a massive scale, so that you really have the feeling to be part of the scene.
Well, I think that he recognizes a possibility for a picture, concentrates this reality through numerous interventions, through composition, and so comes to a photo which expresses much more about the reality, which is not anymore a simple photograph. He recognizes in his subject a potential and concentrates this, he does not narrate, he overcomes the content of that which he sees and concentrates this to a core statement. He goes through the world and recognizes potential pictures and makes pictures out of these.
He focuses and concentrates the images digitally to get to the core and express the essence of what is actually there?
Well, yes, focusing and concentrating are two very important key words.
Thank you very much.
The Andreas Gursky retrospective will run until 3 February 2013 in the Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf.
What do you think makes the Formula 1 so fascinating for Gursky? As you know it is a topic to which he has returned a couple of times, not only in Ferrari I, but also in such works as Bahrain I or F1 Pitstop exhibited at your Museum.
The racing sport has a great fascination for him and I think that when you look at Ferrari I it is not a picture of the race but, what interests him here is this choreography of the pit-stop, every hand movement has to be precise so that this thing gets back onto the track. I think that this perfect coordination of the entire team, around one thing, around one machine, which you actually don't see, I think that this ballet type choreography, this is what fascinates him.
Do you also think that it has something to do with the fusion of technology and the human? He himself works with a highly trained team, who work with computers and technical equipment to accomplish his photographs, in a way that technology is an extension of human capabilities, or for example the camera as an extension of the human hand. Do you think this plays a role?.
Indeed, I think this always plays a role. What is interesting here, he is on the other side of the spectator, he has a view which the spectator does not have, and because for him the photograph is a type of stage on which this, as you will, ballet plays out, this is what I actually find fascinating with this shot.
It is almost like a spectacle which we observe, which on the other hand the spectators on the balcony are observing as well.
Exactly.
And I think this is also true for the most part, as some of Gursky's works have a massive scale, so that you really have the feeling to be part of the scene.
Well, I think that he recognizes a possibility for a picture, concentrates this reality through numerous interventions, through composition, and so comes to a photo which expresses much more about the reality, which is not anymore a simple photograph. He recognizes in his subject a potential and concentrates this, he does not narrate, he overcomes the content of that which he sees and concentrates this to a core statement. He goes through the world and recognizes potential pictures and makes pictures out of these.
He focuses and concentrates the images digitally to get to the core and express the essence of what is actually there?
Well, yes, focusing and concentrating are two very important key words.
Thank you very much.
The Andreas Gursky retrospective will run until 3 February 2013 in the Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf.