Thomas Struth

Zhejian Zhong Lu, Shanghai 1997, 1997

Thomas Struth studied painting and photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. The photographer’s typical subjects include images of living environments of very different kinds: natural landscapes, urban plans, heavy industry and space travel. His photographs depict spaces and locations constructed by and for human beings. Between 1995 and 2002, Struth traveled through a number of regions in China, in the company of friends and colleagues. In the course of this study trip, he created a kind of portrait of the country, showing all its different locations, with their bustling streets and urban structures shaped by history. The photographer shows the confusion of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists making their daily way through the lively streets of Shanghai. The picture’s title is a reference to the specific place where the photograph is taken: Zhejian Zhong Lu is the name of a street in Shanghai. The camera is intentionally positioned so that the viewer is at eye level with the people represented in the picture. In contrast to previous urban photographs by Struth, this series is entirely in color.