Thomas Struth

Thomas Struth (b. 1954) is a German photographer celebrated for his rigorous, large-scale images that explore the structures of society, memory and observation. Born in Geldern, Struth studied painting at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Gerhard Richter, before turning to photography under the influence of Bernd and Hilla Becher. As one of the key figures of the Düsseldorf School, he emerged in the 1980s alongside peers such as Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer and Thomas Ruff.

Struth's early black-and-white cityscapes, particularly of Düsseldorf, New York and other urban centres, focused on empty streets and façades, investigating the psychological weight of built environments. In the 1990s, he shifted his lens toward people and institutions in projects such as Museum Photographs, which capture visitors engaged with artworks in major museums, subtly commenting on the act of looking and the social life of images. Another major body of work, Family Portraits, presented intimate, psychologically complex depictions of families around the world, eschewing sentimentality in favour of psychological depth and formality.

Later series such as Paradise and Nature & Politics extend Struth’s inquiry to rainforest landscapes and cutting-edge scientific and industrial sites, examining the tension between nature, technology and human ambition. His work is held in major international collections including MoMA, Tate and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With intellectual clarity and technical precision, Struth has become one of the defining photographers of his generation, using the camera as a tool for sustained and searching reflection on contemporary life.