Thomas Demand first took up photography in 1989, capturing models of recognizable spaces made of paper. For the artist, the significance of photography soon surpassed that of the models. The paper constructions—many of which he built himself—became an elaborate means to an end. After Demand uses a large-format camera and stylized studio lighting to document these constructions, he destroys them. Upon close inspection, the resulting images convey a disjointedness, in which everyday subject matter is stripped of its distinguishing details. Demand is interested in the circulation of images and the way they permeate societal consciousness.

–From the Glenstone Field Guide