Artist of the day, January 5: Andreas Gefeller, German photographer

Andreas Gefeller (1970) is a German photographer who first received recognition with his Supervisions series (2004-2009). In this series, Gefeller takes several photographs of one perspective from high vantage points—sometimes up to six or seven meters above the ground with his camera aimed directly downward. He then digitally assembles the photographs into a single image, creating a surreal and almost inhuman view of the ground below. Gefeller eliminates perspective through this method of assemblage, and as a result, the photographs appear incredibly flat, sharing visual commonalities with architectural blueprints rather than with aerial photography.

The sites that Gefeller photographs in Supervisions— namely, artists’ studios and parking lots— gesture towards human interaction with different environments without every directly showing individual human characters.

Gefeller approaches this series unlike some of his German contemporaries, such as Andreas Gursky, whose work depicts similar subjects on a similarly grand scale. Whereas Gursky seamlessly reconstructs scenes using technology, Gefeller often purposefully makes the digital post-production evident to the viewer through formal characteristics of his work.
The Japan Series, Gefeller’s latest body of work, debuted at Hasted Kraeutler in New York this past April as a part of the European Eyes on Japan/Japan Photography Today project, which depicts the complex constructed power lines around major cities in Japan. Photographed against black or white skies, these nearly monochromatic pictures eliminate the context of their environment and enhance the minimalist aesthetic value of these man-made constructions.

© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Andreas Gefeller. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission from the artist is obtained.

Mr Andreas Gefeller

2000, soma 014 ganz

2000, soma 020 ganz

2000, soma 034 ganz

2002, Ohne Titel (Parkhaus 2)-Untitled (Parking Lot 2), Paris

2002, Ohne Titel (Platz)-Untitled (Square), Paris

2002, Ohne Titel (Stadion)-Untitled (Stadium), Dusseldorf

2002, Ohne Titel (Zebrastreifen)-Untitled (Crosswalk), Paris

2003, Ohne Titel (Büroetage)-Untitled (Office Floor), Dusseldorf

2003, Ohne Titel (Sieberei)-Untitled (Screening Plant), Essen

2004, Ohne Titel (Hühnerzucht)-Untitled (Chicken Raising), Nordhorn

2004, Ohne Titel (Startbahn)-Untitled (Runway), Hong Kong

2004-06, Ohne Titel (Straße)-Untitled (Street), Hong Kong

2005, Ohne Titel (Baumschule)-Untitled (Tree Nursery), Neuss

2007,  Titel (Baum)-Untitled (Tree), Dusseldorf

2007, Ohne Titel (Parkplatz)-Untitled (Parking Site), Tokyo

2007, Ohne Titel (Parkplatz)-Untitled (Parking Site), Dusseldorf

Gefeller

2007, Ohne Titel (Raumdecke 3, Dusseldorf)-Untitled (Ceiling 3, Dusseldorf)

2009, Ohne Titel (Kunstakademie)-Untitled (Academy of Arts), Dusseldorf

2009, Ohne Titel (Kunstakademie, R 209)-Untitled (Academy of Arts, R 209), Dusseldorf

2009, Ohne Titel (Kunstakademie, R 217)-Untitled (Academy of Arts, R 217), Dusseldorf

2009, Ohne Titel (Kunstakademie, R 218)-Untitled (Academy of Arts, R 218), Dusseldorf

2009, Ohne Titel (Kunstakademie, R 220)-Untitled (Academy of Arts, R 220), Dusseldorf

2010,  Plant and Pergola

2010, Poles Series (08)

2010, Poles Series (17)

2010, Poles Series (19)

2010, Poles Series (24)

2010, Poles Series (27)

2010, Poles Series (30)

2010, Poles Series (31)

2010, Poles Series (32)

2010, Poles Series (33)

2010, Poles Series (35)

2010, Poles Series (36)

2010, Poles Series (37)

2010, Poles Series (38)

2010, Poles Series (39)

2010, Poles Series (44)

2010, Poles Series (45)

2013, Ohne Titel (Platz 2)-Untitled (Square 2), Düsseldorf

2014, cs12 detail

2014, fr03 detail

2014, fr07 gross

2014, fr22 detail

2014, fr23 detail

2014, fr23 gross

2014, fr26 gross

2014, ip12 detail

2014, ip19 detail