Showing - Andreas Gursky @ Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers - London

Apparently the only music Andreas Gursky listens to is techno. He has this inkling for banging house music, as he feels, apparently, that its ‘simple symmetry’ reflects that of his work. For some reason I find this vaguely amusing; amusing in a kind of cynical, techno-ed out way. I think it’s probably because techno is so damn hard, and Gursky’s work is, well, rather serene. At least I think it is. And let’s be honest here, there is nothing remotely serene about techno. So where the pair get together, who knows.

Moving swiftly on, and Gursky’s work is something of an enigma. His mega-size photographs are filled with details; details of life and that which goes on around and about our little worlds. He’s got a thing for football pitches, supermarkets, architecture and crowds. Of course, these are all seemingly standard scenes. However, it’s the way Gursky shoots and presents his prints of 'standard scenes', which makes them stand out from the rest. Taken from from a high focal point, and printed in a massive format, these works are something else. They document our times. They tell it like it is; warts and all.

As Gursky holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a print from a living photographer ('99 Cent II Diptychon' sold for $2.48 million in 2006) it probably goes without saying, he's exhibited worldwide and has hung everywhere from MoMA to the Tate. This month he’s back on British soil with a show at Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers, covering work produced over the past five years. These pieces go down a more digital route for Gurskey and focus on ‘the 21st century as the age of a globalized, capitalistic society’.

Andreas Gursky is showong Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers 7A Grafton Street, London W1 from 22nd March – 12th May