Unlike many artists, Thomas Ruff does not believe it is possible for a photograph to express anything more than the surface appearance of an individual. In his series of enlarged photographic portraits of friends, such as Portrait (R. Eisch), the figures are just objects—each presented in a frontal pose on a neutral background and illuminated by a flash that creates a bright, impersonal light. The images are successful because Ruff’s subjects knew what the artist expected and acted accordingly. Once, when Ruff was asked if his goal was to elevate ordinary people to a kind of celebrity status, he responded that he was primarily representing his own interests rather than making a statement about democracy, commenting, “My friends are more important to me than any president.”

Label from Looking Out and Looking In: A Selection of Contemporary Photography, January 19–June 9, 2013