The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2011

Acclaimed as one of the world’s most prestigious awards, The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize is celebrating its 15^th year. Its aim to acknowledge today’s international photography talent has established a foundation to photography’s wider role in the society. Organised by The Photographers’ Gallery, the exhibition will be displayed at Westminster University’s gallery space Ambika P3 until 1^st May.

This year’s four finalists are Thomas Demand, Roe Ethridge, Jim Goldberg and Elad Lassry. Their work stood out in the field of reportage and originality. The artists’ work varies from commercial photography to conceptual fiction. American Jim Goldberg was already part of Magnum’s photographic agency when he photographed refugee groups in Greece at 2004. His project titled ‘Open See’ focuses on people’s suffering and illustrates individual storylines through text and imagery. Goldberg’s great selection of photographs documents the location and draws emphasis on people’s scars, emotions, and how some of the immigrants from … have been tortured.

In contrast, German born Thomas Demand is fascinated by embodying fiction in photography. He is a sculptor by education and works with architects’ and designers creating 3D installations and props for his interior display. The theme draws emphasis on exploring Germany’s social and political life. He stages carefully composed life-size constructions and captures very precise photographs of the models as the end result.

There is a remarkable dialogue taking place between Roe Ethridge’s fine art and commercial projects. The American photographer’s images can be magnetic to see with their thematic and conceptual approach. Each picture invites the viewer to experience the photograph as one. He is playing in the imagery, even storytelling. Without a doubt Ethridge’s work delivers a stunning mixture of editorial and commissioned assignments with a fine art touch.

One of the last finalists, Elad Lassry’s photography unfolds from a playful to uncanny practice. The Israeli artist’s imagery moves beyond photography playing with shapes and abstraction. He is also a filmmaker. At the exhibition he displays discourse between still and moving images of two of his short films. The colourful frames with a bold background emphasise the interesting subject matter.

Since year 2005 the prize awards a living photographer with £30 000 for a distinctive body of work from Europe. It includes projects showed within the last 12 months either in a publication or in an exhibition. Originally set up in London the high profile prize has attracted photographers from all over the world to compete, where some of the recognized previous winners are Robert Adams and Jurgen Teller. The curator of The Photographer’s Gallery Stefanie Braun shares confidently: “The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize gives you an overview of the best of contemporary photography that is around at the moment.”