Thomas Ruff's 9/11 Jpegs Exhibit Opens At David Zwirner

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Twelve works by German artist Thomas Ruff, created between 2004 and 2007, are currently on view at David Zwirner in Chelsea, New York. The exhibition, titled“jpegs ny,” evoked strong emotional responses from visitors.

Upon entering the gallery, one encounters a large diptych, each panel measuring 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. This work depicts the Manhattan skyline with smoke emanating from the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The exhibition coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda, which resulted in 2,977 deaths on that day alone.

Ruff's 12 photographs include wide shots and pixelated close-ups of smoke and destruction, characterized by a grisaille palette with purple tones. The initial piece, jpeg ny05 from 2004, shows a monumental ruin that appears to dissolve into mist, drawing a comparison to Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1563 painting Tower of Babel. Unlike other openings at Zwirner for artists Scott Kahn and Nate Lowman, Ruff's show was sparsely attended.

The critic Blake Gopnik questioned whether the photo-based works were too painterly to effectively portray the tragedy, which the official 9/11 Commission Report described as“a day of unprecedented shock and suffering in the history of the United States.” According to the gallery, Ruff conceived the exhibition as a commemoration of the anniversary. These 12 pieces were previously displayed at Art Basel's Unlimited section, dedicated to monumental works. Other editions from the series are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Broad in Los Angeles, and Glenstone in Potomac, Maryland.

Ruff was in New York on September 11, 2001, and took photographs of the event and its aftermath. However, these images reportedly disappeared after he returned to Germany several days later, the gallery stated. In 2004, he began the“jpeg” project by finding 9/11 JPEG images online, then heavily compressing them, altering their colors, and enlarging them to a monumental scale. This process accentuated the digital imperfections, giving the final works their pixelated, painterly quality. In total, Ruff created 15“jpeg” works related to 9/11, according to the gallery.

Art advisor Lowell Pettit, who lectured on the series at a symposium, called the pieces“haunting time capsules.” Pettit added,“I would struggle to live with one myself, but as an example of 'history painting' they're without peer.” A gallery spokesperson confirmed that the works are not available for sale.

Another 9/11 piece by Ruff is featured in a group exhibition at the New York City Fire Museum, the gallery noted. Three hundred forty-three firefighters died on 9/11. The exhibition's direct connection to major US museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Broad highlights its significance for American institutional collections.

We previously reported:

Artists from Muslim, South Asian, and SWANA communities share their reflections on how 9/11 and the subsequent "War on Terror" shaped their lives.

Source: Artnet News

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