Elger Esser (b.1967) is a German artist known for his lyrical photographs which recall the works of early Pictorialists as well as 19th-century painters such as Caspar David Friedrich. Characterized by their golden light, archaic subject matter, and mellowed sublimity, Esser draws inspiration from the soft palette of antique postcards, as evinced in his work Nocturnes à Giverny (2013). “I am interested in capturing and preserving subjective memories, time and tranquility,” the artist explained. Born on May 11, 1967 in Stuttgart, Germany, Esser grew up in Rome but returned to Germany as a young man. In 1991, he enrolled in the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he studied under Bernd and Hilla Becher. Fundamentally different from the famed members of the Düsseldorf School, including Andreas Gursky, Esser’s work espouses a craftsman-based heritage rather than a conceptual deconstruction of the medium. Currently living and working in Düsseldorf, Germany, Esser’s works are in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, among others.
Esser's work is held in the collections of Kunstmuseum, Stuttgart, Stuttgart; Kunsthalle Karlsruhe; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum der Moderne Salzburg; Fundacio Foto Colectania, Barcelona; Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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Paris Photo
9 - 12 Nov 2023For this year’s Paris Photo fair, Bruce Silverstein Gallery will be featuring the works of two Native American artists, Sarah Sense and Dakota Mace. Sense,...Read more -
The Armory Show
Javitz Center, 429 11TH AVE, NEW YORK CITY 7 - 10 Sep 2023BRUCE SILVERSTEIN GALLERY IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ARMORY SHOW 2023 AT THE JAVITS CENTER. BOOTH #338 | JAVITS CENTER, 429 11TH...Read more -
The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD
415 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016 31 Mar - 2 Apr 2023From March 31 - April 2, 2023, Bruce Silverstein Gallery will be exhibiting at The Photography Show presented by AIPAD in Booth # 108; showcasing...Read more -
Art Basel
Online Viewing Room 19 - 26 Jun 2020Bruce Silverstein is pleased to participate in the second iteration of Art Basel’s digital platform designed to connect galleries and collectors from around the world....Read more -
The Armory
5 - 8 Mar 2020Featuring new works by Elger Esser, Mishka Henner, Todd Hido, Brea Souders, and Marjan Teeuwen.Read more -
Paris Photo
7 - 10 Nov 2019Works by: Diane Arbus, Eugene Atget, Bill Brandt, Anne Brigman, Harry Callahan, Imogen Cunningham, Louis Draper, Frantisek Drtikol, Elger Esser, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Jaromir...Read more