Thomas Demand - Artiste, Photographer

text_ Minseok KIM

 

The exhibition of Demant, which started on Feb. 14, runs until May 14 at Jeu de Paume, a museum specializing in photography in Paris. There are about 70 works on display. The exhibition hall can be found after getting off at Concorde Station on Subway Line 1. See the link below.

https://jeudepaume.org/evenement/exposition-thomas-demand/

Exposition Thomas Demand - Jeu de Paume

 

Summary

This article delves into the works and life of Thomas Demand, a German artist and photographer whose unique process involves constructing detailed models of environments and photographing them to create images that blur reality and imagination. Demand's attention to detail and his use of historical photographic references have made him a significant contemporary artist. The blog highlights Demand's representative works, working methods, and their relation to art and photography theory, including the simulacrum, the uncanny, and the constructed image.

 

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(c) Thomas Demand, « Control Room », 2011.

 

Artiste, Photographer - Thomas Demand

Thomas Demand is a renowned German artist and photographer whose unique creative process and compelling body of work have made him one of the most significant contemporary artists in the world. In this blog, we will explore his history, world of works, representative works, working methods, artist's status and influence in contemporary art, and related art and photography theory.

 

Artist's History

Thomas Demand was born in Munich, Germany in 1964. After studying sculpture at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, Demand moved to Düsseldorf in 1990 to study with the influential German conceptual artist, Bernd Becher. There he studied photography and began to explore the medium as a way to create his unique vision.

In 1993, Demand received his MFA from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and moved to New York City, where he continued to refine his process and develop his signature style. Over the years, Demand has exhibited his work extensively both nationally and internationally, with solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Serpentine Gallery in London, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo.

 

World of Works

Thomas Demand's work often involves constructing detailed and realistic life-size models of environments, such as offices, hotel lobbies, and fast food restaurants, and then photographing them in a way that blurs the boundaries between the real and the imagined. His photographs are both seductive and unsettling, inviting the viewer to question what is real and what is not.

Demand's works are characterized by their meticulous attention to detail, with every aspect of the constructed environments carefully planned and executed. His process involves a meticulous process of research, sketching, model-building, and photography. Demand's work is also deeply engaged with the history of photography, and he often references the work of other photographers, including Andreas Gursky and William Eggleston, in his own work.

 

Representative Works

Some of Thomas Demand's most significant works include :

• Clearing (2003) : A photograph of a forest, created by building a life-size model of the woods in a studio and then photographing it. The result is an uncanny and dreamlike image that blurs the line between the real and the imagined.
• Control Room (2011) : A photograph of the control room of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, constructed entirely from paper and cardboard. The work is both a commentary on the disaster that occurred at the plant in 2011 and a meditation on the fragility of our infrastructure.
• La Carte d'Après Nature (2000) : A series of photographs based on a series of postcards created by French photographer Eugène Atget. Demand recreated the scenes depicted in the postcards using paper and cardboard models, creating a strange and haunting vision of Paris at the turn of the century.

 

(c) Thomas Demand, « Diving Board », 1994.

 

Working Methods

Thomas Demand's working methods are highly specialized and meticulous, involving a series of steps that must be carefully executed in order to achieve his desired results. Some of the steps in his process include :

• Research : Before beginning a new project, Demand conducts extensive research, gathering information about the subject matter, its history, and its cultural significance.
• Sketching : Demand then creates detailed sketches of the environment he wishes to recreate, mapping out the key features and dimensions of the space.
• Model Building : Using paper and cardboard, Demand constructs a highly detailed life-size model of the environment he wishes to photograph. This often involves multiple stages of construction, with each layer of the model carefully designed and crafted.
• Lighting : Once the model is complete, Demand carefully sets up the lighting to create the desired mood and atmosphere.
• Photography : Finally, Demand photographs the model, often taking multiple shots to ensure that he captures the desired image. He then carefully selects the final image and prints it at a large scale, often up to six feet or more in size.

 

Artist's Status and Influence in Contemporary Art

Thomas Demand's work has been highly influential in the contemporary art world, with many artists looking to his unique creative process as a source of inspiration. His work is known for its highly conceptual nature and its ability to engage the viewer on both a visual and intellectual level.

Demand's influence can be seen in the work of other contemporary artists, such as Sarah Sze and Taryn Simon, who also create highly detailed and intricate installations that blur the boundaries between the real and the imagined. His work has also had a significant impact on the field of photography, with many photographers looking to his approach to model-building and lighting as a way to push the boundaries of the medium.

 

Related Art and Photography Theory

Thomas Demand's work engages with a number of related art and photography theories, including :

• The simulacrum : Demand's work is often characterized by its ability to create highly realistic and detailed representations of environments that exist only in the realm of the imagined. This blurring of reality and fantasy is a central aspect of the concept of the simulacrum, a term coined by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard to describe the way that modern culture creates representations of reality that are often more real than reality itself.
• The uncanny : Demand's work often creates an uncanny effect, with viewers experiencing a sense of unease or disorientation when faced with his highly detailed and realistic models. This effect is related to the concept of the uncanny, a term coined by Freud to describe the feeling of discomfort that arises when something that should be familiar is made strange.
• The constructed image : Demand's work is deeply engaged with the concept of the constructed image, a term used to describe photographs that are created through a process of meticulous planning and execution. This approach is in contrast to the more traditional approach to photography, which emphasizes the capture of spontaneous and unmediated moments.

 

In conclusion, Thomas Demand's work is a compelling and highly original contribution to the contemporary art world. His meticulous approach to model-building and photography creates images that blur the boundaries between the real and the imagined, inviting viewers to question their perceptions of reality. His work has had a significant influence on both the field of art and photography, and his unique creative process continues to inspire artists around the world.