by Dirk Reinartz (Photographer), Richard Serra (Artist), Alexander Von Berswordt (Editor)
Reinartz's stark photographs hammer home the industrial nature of Richard Serra's practice
American artist Richard Serra (1938-2024) called factories and steelworks an extension of his studio, referring to the processes required to bring his large-scale sculptures into being. The traditional solitary artistic craft of the sculptor is replaced by the energy- and labor-intensive processes at the heart of heavy industry. Unique works of art emerge from industrial collaboration, and for Serra it was not uncommon that his interaction with these working methods led to new works.
German photographer Dirk Reinartz (1947-2004) often accompanied Serra for the conception and construction of his sculptures. His subtly graduated black-and-white photographs capture the unique atmospheres of the rolling mill, forge and final steel processing, without ever aiming for superficial effects. Reinartz records both the production of Serra's individual sculptural elements and the finished installed works in compelling images, restrained and confident in equal measure.