Wolfgang Tillmans

Wolfgang Tillmans is a German photographer known for his wide-ranging, intimate images of contemporary life. Born in 1968, he came to attention in the 1990s with candid pictures of friends, nightlife, and youth culture, shown not as precious prints but taped and pinned to gallery walls in casual arrangements. He treats the photograph as something free and everyday.

His subjects range from portraits and still lifes to abstract images made without a camera and vast skies and landscapes. In 2000 he became the first photographer and first non-British artist to win the Turner Prize. Tillmans is also known for his political engagement, and his fresh, democratic approach has made him one of the most influential photographers of his time.