Maschinen, 2005

Set of 8 digital pigment prints on photo rag paper, 50 x 40 (15¾ x 19¾ in) and 40 x 50 cm (19¾ x 15¾ in), respectively. Edition of 30, each signed and numbered.

Set EUR 7,500

Part of Thomas Ruff’s Machines series, this edition portfolio presents eight reworked photographs based on archival glass negatives from the 1930s. Originally produced by the Düsseldorf-based firm Rohde & Dörrenberg to document industrial machinery for catalogues, the images were functional in nature. Ruff digitally retouched and selectively colored these historical black-and-white photographs, drawing attention to the manual editing techniques once used in analog print preparation. By doing so, he transforms utilitarian documentation into contemplative works that reflect on visual reproduction, the legacy of industrial aesthetics, and the evolving relationship between photography and technology.