Thomas Ruff: jpegs ny

Thomas Ruff is a German photographer known for his conceptual engagement with photography, digital manipulation, and the nature of the image itself. His practice often involves appropriating existing imagery—from found photographs to internet sources—and subjecting them to systematic alterations: changes in scale, compression, color shifts, and pixelation. Ruff's work explores how digital intervention can transform familiar or traumatic subject matter into abstraction, challenging viewers' perception of legibility and authenticity. His approach treats photography as a malleable medium rather than a document of truth, emphasizing the constructed nature of all images.