Ulrich Hensel

Ulrich Hensel (born 1946) is a German visual artist known for his large format colour photographs of construction sites.

Education

He was born in Düsseldorf in 1946 and studied psychology, art and film. Ulrich Hensel did a number of different series of works (e.g. Middle East and North Africa, 1967–1975, India, 1981–1990, local deities in North and in South India, 1995–1997) but since 1991 he has been focusing on images of construction sites. thumb

Career and style

Hensel's oeuvre is viewed as occupying a unique place among the photographic art to come out of Germany. thumb

For nearly three decades, Ulrich Hensel has been working almost obsessively focussing on one single subject: construction sites. His images are often abstract and sometimes minimalist – "grids, dots, fastenings and iron grilles extend across the pictures in rigorous formations defined by the functions of the objects shown" and Piet Mondrian. The technical world of rebars, Lintels, insulation, wall markings, cladding and steel bars in his works are the metaphors to works from Mark Rothko, Donald Judd as well as Cy Twombly. Like Leonardo da Vinci recognized a world from drawings in a weathered wall, Ulrich Hensel loves to look at construction sites. thumb

Hensel is concerned with authenticity and avoids digital manipulations. His large-format photographs are described as "unobtrusive and complex at the same time".

Art market

Most of Hensel's photos come in editions of six with two artist's proof.