Biography
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 18 August 1933. Primar-
ily self-taught in photography, but studied with Lisette
Model and Diane Arbus, among others. Freelance
photographer, 1968–present. Instructor at the School
of Visual Arts, New York, 1972; Ansel Adams Work-
shop, Yosemite Valley, California, 1974; Manhattanville
College, Purchase, New York, 1974–1975. Visiting Artist
at Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, 1973; Rhode
Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island,
- Works collected by The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York, the International Center of Photo-
graphy, New York; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem;
Fotografiska Museet, Stockholm; and the Art Museum,
Lodz, Poland. Lives in Paris, France.
Individual Exhibitions
1972 Underground Gallery; New York, New York
1975 Rencontres Internationales de la photographie; Arles,
France
1975 Canon Photo Gallery; Amsterdam, Netherlands
1977 Galerie Trockenpresse; Berlin, Germany
1983 The Photographers’ Gallery; London, England
1984 Image Gallery; Madrid, Spain
1984 Muzeum Sztuki; Lodz, Poland
1989 Encontros da Imagem; Braga, Portugal
1989 Bibliothe`que nationale de Paris; France
1995 Galerie Augustus; Berlin, Germany
1996 Galeria Sztuki ‘‘Zacheta’’; Warsaw, Poland
1997 Magyar Fotogra ́fiai Mu ́ zeum; Budapest, Hungary
1998 Muzeum Regionalne; Wrzes ́nia, Poland
2002 Filharmonia Narodowa; Warsaw, Poland
Group Exhibitions
1969 The Floating Foundation of Photography; New York,
New York
1971 Moon Street Gallery; Westport, Connecticut
1972 Images of Concern; Delgado Museum of Art; New
Orleans, Louisiana
1972 The Market Diner Bash; Underground Gallery; New
York, New York
1973 America: Photographic Statements; Neikrug Gallery;
New York, New York
1973 Women Photographers; Emmanuel Y Gallery; New
York, New York
1973 Critics’ Choice; Neikrug Gallery; New York, New
York
1973 Salone Internationale Cine Photo Optica; Milan, Italy
1974 USIA Traveling Exhibition; Eastern Europe
Selected Works
Couple on couch, New York, 1970, 1970
Bed in mirror, Rhode Island, 1972, 1972
Fisherman’s sons, Dingle, Ireland, 1972, 1972
Woman in hospital, Kentucky, 1972, 1972
Old man on steps, Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, 1973, 1973
Sr. Stefanina, Orphanage, Sabbioneta, Italy, 1973, 1973
Church, Italy, 1979, 1979
Weeping fountain, Portugal, 1989, 1989
Further Reading
Horvat, Frank. Interview with Eva Rubinstein, 1999.
Kernan, Sean.Eva Rubinstein. Dobbs Ferry, New York:
Morgan & Morgan, Inc., 1974.
Konopka, Bogdan.Eva Rubinstein: Fotografie 1967–1990.
Poland: Wydawnictwo, 2003.
Niccolini, Dianora, ed.Women of Vision: Photographic
Statements by Twenty Women Photographers. Verona,
New Jersey: The Unicorn Publishing House, 1982.
THOMAS RUFF
German
Thomas Ruff’s presence in contemporary photo-
graphy came about in the mid-1980s. His rather
dry, even seemingly sterile, photographs were in
line with the aesthetic dominant in Germany dur-
ing this time as promulgated by Bernd and Hilla
Becher and their tenure at the Kunstakademie,
Du ̈sseldorf. While his subjects are often simple—
giant, deadpan portrait heads or modernist build-
ings—his ideas extend beyond the obvious. His
goal is not to create any emotional connections
for viewers; rather, his images are about ‘‘seeing’’
and helping viewers discover a new aesthetic so that
they may find the space between reality and the
photograph, a place where Ruff often finds himself.
Thomas Ruff, one of six children, was born in
1958 in Zell am Hamersbach, West Germany. His
RUFF, THOMAS