Christopher Thomas

Christopher Thomas began his career as an advertiser for German magazines including GEO, Stern, Merian and others. In recent years he has concentrated his efforts on creating portraits of cities including Paris, Venice, the Engadin and New York. Thomas uses Polaroid film and long exposure techniques for this ongoing series.

<span class="title">Metropolitan Museum, New York<span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">c 2009</span>
<span class="title">Brooklyn Bridge III, New York<span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">2008</span>
<span class="title">Madison Square Park II, New York<span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">2008</span>
<span class="title">Brooklyn Bridge II, New York<span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">2001</span>
<span class="title">Grand Central Terminal II, New York<span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">2001</span>
Christopher Thomas
Metropolitan Museum, New York, c 2009
Archival pigment print
Large, edition of 7: 40 5/8 x 53 1/8 in. (103 x 135 cm.)
Small, edition of 25: 22 x 29 7/8 in. (56 x 76 cm.)
© Christopher Thomas

New York has always been a vital subject for photographers ever since the medium’s invention in 1839, and it is there that Thomas formulated his unique style of city portraiture in 2009. His captivating, atmospheric images transports us to a silent city, devoid of human presence, which could remind us of photographs from the 19th century, when the photographic image was not fast enough to capture the quickening pace of human activity. 

 

Armed with a compass, azimuth and sun chart, pen and notebook, Thomas would roam the city at dawn, dusk and at night to find the view he wanted to capture. The photographic material he uses – most of which is no longer produced today – ensures that the images are rich in detail. Thomas’ own eye, sensitivity and technical skill enabled pictures to emerge that return the city to its historical roots, with a sense of mystery. 

 

Considering Thomas’s Western roots, he is not so much interested in capturing modern skyscrapers as he is of capturing historial European architecture or industrial American buildings such as the Flatiron or the Woolworth Building. This collection of images is a romantic ode to the city, containing views of Grand Central Terminal, Fifth Avenue, China Town, the Brooklyn Bridge amongst many other landmarks. 

 

“In our fast-moving times in which one is confronted with a barrage of incessant communication and a flood of images, Christopher’s contemplative pictures are an invitation to pause a while and dream. The viewer has a feeling of timelessness evoked by the long exposure times that do not capture any momentary movement.” - Ira Stehmann, Editor