---- Art for art ----
Biography
Andy Ridder is a german photographer based in Cádiz/Spain.
After completing his studies at the Academy for Photographic Design in Munich, Andy Ridder worked as an assistant in Stuttgart, Munich, and Paris. Following that, he performed jobs for leading magazines and companies in Germany and abroad.
Andy Ridder uses partly dichromatic black-and-white photos in contrasting shades, created as free works, as a counterpoint to his commercial color photography. The locations are places in which humans and space, in the interplay of light and shadow, are quite abandoned to the atmosphere and to the spontaneity of the moment. This can lead to unplanned enactments, as in the series in a Jazz Club published in “Stern” and “max”, in whose independent existences Andy Ridder intervenes as little as possible to control or manipulate. So a more subtle, hidden type of eroticism emerges, always just hinted at, which never ostensibly or even platitudinously pushes the viewer. The eroticism does try to involve the viewer, but it must be gradually discovered by them. This leaves just enough room for personal interpretation. “Stern” magazine writes: “Stuttgart-based photographer Andy Ridder’s pictures demonstrate subtly hidden eroticism to a high level. The dark atmosphere of a jazz club is the ideal setting for his sensitive interpretation of eroticism.” Excerpt from “max” magazine for pop culture and style: “Andy Ridders pictures are often preceded by unplanned enactments. Thus a subtle eroticism emerges which is only ever hinted at.”
In his abstract works, Andy Ridder works at the threshold between painting and photography, between reality and abstraction, going from conscious distortion to complete abstraction. The “Zeitwischer” series originated in a photographic process that used long exposure times offset with “proper motion” sequences, resulting in extraordinary new visual compositions, in which traces of the movement in his work in space and time can be rediscovered. Acceleration, spatial effect, movement, and dynamism together yield endless pictorial superimpositions. The flowing-time, moving camera destroys existing spatial forms through long exposure times. So new spaces and images emerge, and he succeeds in creating a subjective reality or images full of mystery ….
Influences
Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton
The artist at work
Solo Expositions
1997 Nürburgring "Grand Prix" Faszination Rennstrecke Nürburg, Germany
Collective Expositions
2024 The Crypt Gallery - London, United Kingdom
2024 ART FAIR INNSBRUCK - Innsbruck, Austria
2024 GALLERIA EUROPA - Versilia, Toskana, Italy
2024 Galerie Hamilton CANNES, Côte d'Azur, France
2024 Momenti d’Arte - Firenze, Italy
2024 ARTE E COLLEZIONISMO - Florenz, Italy
2023 The Crypt Gallery - London, United Kingdom
2023 ART SYMPOSIUM 2023 - Firenze, Italy
2023 Galleria Tolomeo - Milano, Italy
2023 Visionario - Galleria Merlino - Florenz, Italy
2023 On Tour CANNES - Galerie Hamilton - CANNES, Côte d'Azur, France
2013 Triptychon "Zeitwischer" Stuttgart, Germany
Publications & Press
2022 La Gomera - Magical Island - Wall Calendar - New Edition 2024 München, Germany
2022 StuttgArt - Impressionen einer Stadt - Architecture Calendar - New Edition 2024 München, Germany
2022 JAZZCLUB Calendar - New Edition 2024 This successfully sold calendar was republished München, Germany