Thomas Ruff

photographer

German^[1] b. 10 February 1958, Zell am Harmersbach, Germany^[1] active 1977–present

Thomas Ruff is a prominent German photographer and artist born in Zell am Harmersbach in 1958. He lives and works in Düsseldorf, where he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts under Bernd Becher from 1977 to 1985. A key figure of the Düsseldorf School, Ruff's work explores the nature of photographic truth through various series including 'Portraits', 'Houses', and 'Stars'. His practice encompasses analogue photography, digital manipulation, and conceptual expansions of the medium. He served as a professor for Art/Photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf from 2000 to 2006. His work is characterized by its systematic interrogation of representation and the mechanisms of image production.^[1,2]