Thomas Ruff is among the many notable alumni of the Düsseldorf School of Photography, founded by artists Bernd and Hilla Becher. In the 1970s, responding to the influx of subjective photographs associated with Conceptual art and Minimalism, the Bechers encouraged a return to documentary photography. Ruff followed in his teachers’ footsteps, producing detailed, large-scale photographs of industrial landscapes, mundane objects, and passport-style portraits of German teens. As his career progressed, Ruff experimented with the scale of his work, producing immense photographs. Employing techniques ranging from digital manipulation to darkroom development, Ruff produces a diverse oeuvre that showcases the scope and grammar of photography.

–Tan Tran, from the Glenstone Field Guide