Andreas Gursky's Retrospective at Hayward Gallery Explores Photography's Illusions and Influences

From January 25 to April 22, 2018, the Hayward Gallery in London hosts a retrospective of Andreas Gursky, highlighting his large-scale photographs of varied landscapes. Among the prominent pieces are Dolomites, Cable Car (1987) and Mülheim, Anglers (1989). Everyday scenes are captured in smaller works like Zürich I (1985) and Ratingen, Swimming Pool (1987). Gursky's artistic approach is influenced by his mentors, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and resonates with the Düsseldorf School and new topographics photographers. Noteworthy is Rhine II (1999/2015), which features a digitally manipulated landscape, alongside Utah (2017) and Ibiza (2016), reminiscent of Stephen Shore. The collection also includes Aletsch Glacier (1993) and Niagara Falls (1989), with a recent emphasis on crowds and capitalism evident in Amazon (2017) and 99 Cent II, Diptych (2001).