Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
20 years of photographic works by Wolfgang Tillmans, the first photographer ever to win the Turner Prize, are currently on view at Moderna Museet, comprising his first major show in Sweden.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
Born in Germany in 1968, Tillmans studied in Britain and published photographs in major publications including i-D, Spex, and Interview. At the time, the mundane subject matter was intriguing and unusual, and paved the way for a younger generation’s stylistic experiments with the aspects of the everyday, and attempts to breathe new life into them through photography.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
Continuing his work with analog photography, Tillmans often creates his more abstract images in the darkroom, and is interested in both the exhibition space and the medium of photography as a self-reflexive metaphor. He works to “reveal the possibilities and limitations of the space in interplay with the photographs,” as expressed by the Moderna Museet Stockholm.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
Not attached to one particular format or size, he explores a variety of approaches to creating and displaying his photographs, constantly adjusting the images’ context, and revealing the many perspectives even one image can collect. In this vein, the Moderna Museet museum’s exhibition is considered a site-specific installation, rather than an exhibition of photographs.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
Recently, Tillmans work has related to the theme of “Neue Welt,” referring to his newfound use of the digital camera he has embraced, and his consideration motifs of politics, economics, and “the hypermodern.”
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
“Wolfgang Tillmans moves freely between images of the club scene in Berlin, political manifestations, and skyscrapers in Hong Kong; all with the same direct tonality. At the same time, all of his pictures explore photography itself – as a medium, but also as a material, convention and process” -Curator Jo Widoff.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
“Wolfgang Tillmans is one of today’s most prominent artists. Despite its visual complexity, his pictorial language is immediately recognizable. He captures the explosive energy in social situations and crosses boundaries between different artforms. He is able to use photographic means to create a kind of abstract painting.” -Museum Director Daniel Birnbaum.
Tillman’s works will remain on view at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm until January 20th, 2013.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
Wolfgang Tillmans, Exhibition View, via Moderna Museet Stockholm
—E. Baker
Related Links:
Artist’s Website [Wolfgang Tillmans]
Exhibition Page [Moderna Museet]
Interview Magazine [Wolfgang Tillmans]
University of Brighton Talk on Vimeo [Wolfgang Tillmans talks about his work]
