Wolfgang Tillmans's 'Central Nervous System' Exhibition Focuses on Intimate Portraits of Karl

Wolfgang Tillmans's exhibition 'Central Nervous System' presents 30 photographs from 2008 to 2013, all depicting a man named Karl. The images capture details like his feet, neck, eyes, and mouth, marking a shift from Tillmans's earlier sculptural explorations of photography. Installed with a linear hang and nonreflective glass, the show adopts a slick conservatism, with works such as 'Leonardo' (2013) referencing Renaissance portraiture. In 'Augenlicht' (Eyesight, 2013), Karl's eye reflects his surroundings, including a garden and the photographer. The series reflects Tillmans's affection for Karl, whose Teutonic demeanor renders him an everyman, emphasizing the gaze itself. However, the intimate focus lacks criticality, echoing Tillmans's influence on lifestyle photography alongside figures like Terry Richardson and Juergen Teller. A photo from 2012, 'Karl, Bogotá,' shows Karl in a camouflage parka in Colombian streets, hinting at how such gazes can commodify personal relationships. The exhibition was reviewed in the January & February 2014 issue of ArtReview.