Michelangelo's Laurentian Library, Florence, 2016
Chromogenic print
87 x 71 in. (220 x 180 cm), Edition of 3 + 2 AP
$76,000 framed
Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibition of work by Turkish artist Ahmet Ertuğ (b. 1949). Featuring twenty-seven monumental color photographs spanning the artist’s career, Ahmet Ertuğ: Photographs, 1978 – 2020 marks the artist's first solo gallery exhibition in the United States. From the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Ertuğ has sought renowned examples of architecture that follow three principles, as defined by the Roman architect Vitruvius: durability (firmatis), utility (utilitas), and beauty (venustatis). By use of large format cameras, long exposure techniques, and the eye of a formally trained architect, Ertuğ adeptly captures both the enormous scale and intimate details of his subjects. Each image is imbued with rich tonalities echoing an Old World aesthetic, which the artist attributes to his Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. The achievement of Ertuğ’s work sits firmly in its ability to immediately transfix and transport the viewer to another place and moment in time.
