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The upcoming event at one of New York's largest and
international art galleries, Gagosian Gallery, features the
work of artist Thomas Ruff.!
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Thomas Ruff, PhotographyThomas Ruff, an artist, chooses
to express himself with the medium of photography, though
his work explores the limits and possibilities of that
medium. Thomas Ruff uses multiple techniques for multiple
projects in his photography. His techniques spanning from
the modern 3D possibilities in photography and advanced
digital manipulation, to dark room and development
techniques that would have been used long ago in the 20th
century, or 1970s.!
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As far as the subjects of Thomas Ruff's photography, they
vary as well and often include digitally manipulated NASA
images of planets and the solar system, interior and shots of
exterior architecture that challenge the viewer to see the
structures in a new light, and an artistically rendered spin on
pornography in which the images are abstracted with filters
and blur, to suggest the more beautiful elements of the
human body, without being explicit.!
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Thomas Ruff is 3D imagery. In the increasing popularity of 3D
in film and television is perhaps
where Thomas Ruff's work became
noticed, however Thomas Ruff's use of 3D is well suited to create
Pop Imagery, which in its loud, eye popping style, fits naturally to be
seen in the 3D element. Imagine the old Warhol paintings, their
bracing color and pleasurable obtrusiveness, can you imagine them
in 3D? In my opinion such works of pop art are well suited to 3D, as
it adds to the shock, pop experience of seeing a celebrity, or simply
the vivid color and bright simplicity of some of his pop work. In terms
of 3D, Thomas Ruff also has rendered some NASA shot
interplanetary images and overlayed them with another color.
Perhaps as an idea once cannot tell the value, however in person,
seeing the 3D landscapes of the moon or mars and the stars
surrounding them surely makes an impression.!
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Thomas Ruffs work with digitally manipulated stills from pornography have the surprising effect
of shifting what might appear as smut into something more artful and calm. The digital glaze laid
on top of a carefully selected still can bring out the shape, color, and innocence of exploration
and the human body, as if one were looking at a soft, angelic sculpture fashioned by
Michelangelo.!
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Thomas Ruff is based out of Dusseldorf, Germany.