June 22–September 22, 2002 MCA Chicago

Andreas Gursky’s large color photographs explore the complex interchange between current artistic strategies and traditional documentary practices.

In 99 Cent Store, 1999, Gursky has altered the image to place the foreground and background on the same visual plane and eliminate atmospheric perspective. This subtle modification flattens the image and emphasizes the formalist structure of the work. Although these digital adjustments make the work more abstract, Gursky's documentary style is not affected. While the audience may be aware that the image has been manipulated, we are in the dark as to exactly which elements have been changed or removed. The viewer must accept the (unknown) inauthentic qualities within a seemingly objective recording of our world. [/] Andreas Gursky at MOMA New York