August Sander’s encyclopedic magnum opus, ‘People of the 20th Century,’ constitutes one of the most monumental endeavors in photographic history. Over the course of a career spanning six decades and tens of thousands of negatives, Sander created a nuanced sociological portrait of Germany comprising images of its populace, as well as its urban settings and dramatic landscapes. Working in a conceptually rigorous fashion, he pioneered a precise, unembellished photographic aesthetic that was formative to the establishment of the medium’s independence from painting and presaged conceptual art. Sander’s oeuvre has served as a wellspring of inspiration for modern and contemporary photographers, from Walker Evans and Diane Arbus, to Tina Barney, Rineke Dijkstra, and Bernd and Hilla Becher, and has exerted a profound influence upon new generations of visual artists across mediums.
A significant selection of photographs from Sanders’ portfolio ‘People Who Came to My Door’ forms the heart of Hauser & Wirth´s group exhibition ‘Serialities,’ on view in New York from 18 February through 8 April 2017.
