30.5 x 40.6 cm
Wolfgang Tillmans initiated the ongoing series Faltenwurf in 1989, representing compositions of unused clothing, with special attention paid to the ways in which they drape and fold. The title is taken from a Germanic term used in the context of art history, designating classical drapery. In this particular photograph, Faltenwurf (Stairwell) , an assortment of various colored clothes lay tangled on a set of stairs, as a sculpture of abstract forms. Through this work, the artist conveys the fundamentals of the photographic medium as it relates to dimensionality and sculpture, as well as the relationship between surface and materiality. At its core, this formal exploration of color, texture, and shape is concerned with translation—from sculpture to photography, from three-dimension to two-dimension. The garments in this photograph appear to have been cast off or discarded down the stairs, perhaps in a hurry, or a half attempt at putting them in the laundry. In television and film clothing on the floor is a visual euphemism employed to signify that a sexual act has taken place, which suggests a sensual quality to Tillmans’s photograph. In a utilitarian sense, clothing offers protection, while sartorially they aid in creating or performing identity. Often, they are what gets left behind in a moment of urgent displacement. The absence of a body in relation to the clothing in this context also casts a somewhat foreboding impression on the photograph. Symbolically, clothing can convey multiple meanings, all of which are up for discussion in Tillmans’s work.
Wolfgang Tillmans is an influential contemporary photographer, as well as a musician, writer, and political activist. He engages with contemporary culture in its plural forms challenging conventional aesthetics. Tillmans’s work considers issues of sexuality, spirituality, borders, and global events, as well as reflecting on the photographic medium itself. He is well known for his casual documentary photographs of youth, clubs, and LGBTQ culture for magazines in the 1990s. Experimentation and innovation are crucial elements of his methodology and approach to presentation. Social and political concerns have been a constant throughout Tillmans’s practice; he is preoccupied with the destabilization of the world, the refugee crisis, and how global events are communicated. Tillmans is directly involved in political activism as he was one of Europe’s most outspoken critics against Brexit and the rise of the right wing across the continent. In 2006 he founded a non-profit exhibition space, Between Bridges, devoted to the advancement of democracy and now used to address the ongoing European migrant crisis.
Constructed out of metal or glass to mirror the size of FedEx shipping boxes, and to fit securely inside, Walead Beshty’s FedEx works are then shipped, accruing cracks, chips, scrapes, and bruises along the way to their destination...
Constructed out of metal or glass to mirror the size of FedEx shipping boxes, and to fit securely inside, Walead Beshty’s FedEx works are then shipped, accruing cracks, chips, scrapes, and bruises along the way to their destination...
Catherine Opie’s candid photograph Cathy (bed Self-portrait) (1987) shows the artist atop a bed wearing a negligee and a dildo; the latter is attached to a whip that she holds in her teeth...
7-headed Lalandau Hat by Yee I-Lann is an intricately woven sculpture evoking the ceremonial headdress worn by Murut men in Borneo...
7″ Single ‘Pop In’ by Martin Kippenbergher consisting of a vinyl record and a unique artwork drawn by the artist on the record’s sleeve...
The types of objects Feldmann is interested in collecting into serial photographic grids or artist’s books are often also found in three dimensional installations...
Custom-built for a silent film star in 1934 in Santa Monica, the Sten-Frenke House is an idiosyncratic icon...
In this photographic series, Yto Barrada was interested in the logos of the buses that travel between North Africa and Europe...
In New York City’s Chinatown, subject Suat Ling Chua’s morning exercise is to practice the hula hoop...
These two images come from the series called “State of Control” which Kilpper made in the building formerly occupied by the Stasi in Berlin...
Percent for Art is seemingly concerned with “art enrichment” by state or city arts agencies role in it, managing the artist rosters, maintaining public art collections, commissioning artworks, selecting installation sites, among other things for aesthetic and cultural enhancement in both public and private real estate developments...
Although best known as a provocateur and portraitist, Opie also photographs landscapes, cityscapes, and architecture...
In this work, a woman sits on a couch with her shirt pulled up to expose her pierced nipples, which are connected by a chain...
Lockhart’s film Lunch Break investigates the present state of American labor, through a close look at the everyday life of the workers at the Bath Iron Works shipyard—a private sector of the U...
The types of objects Feldmann is interested in collecting into serial photographic grids or artist’s books are often also found in three dimensional installations...
Lockhart’s film Lunch Break investigates the present state of American labor through a close look at the everyday life of the workers at the Bath Iron Works shipyard—a private sector of the U...
Video: Catherine Opie on photographing leading British artists | Blog | Royal Academy of Arts Catherine Opie in the RA Collection Gallery Video: Catherine Opie on photographing leading British artists Read more Become a Friend Video: Catherine Opie on photographing leading British artists Published 8 September 2023 Catherine Opie discusses her portraits of David Hockney, Anish Kapoor, Gillian Wearing, Isaac Julien and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, featured in our free display in the Collection Gallery...
Bruce Conner is best known for his experimental films, but throughout his career he also worked with pen, ink, and paper to create drawings ranging from psychedelic patterns to repetitious inkblot compositions...