Thomas Demand's
photographs appear
to represent reality in their visions of modern interiors, but
in fact each image is a full-size cardboard model of an interior
based on another, factual photograph, most likely from a newspaper
or similar media sources. This technique blurs the distinction
between the real and the fabricated - his attention to detail
furthers this blurring - while questioning the legitimacy of
photography as the medium of truth. Similar in vein to Gregory
Crewdson and Ben Gest,
each artist stages their subjects in particular ways that create
a surrealism, each image familiar yet unsettling in its slight
detachment from reality. These artists are adding a complexity
to photography that is enriching while using different media
in ways that is purely artistic.
