Thomas Ruff: ma.r.s.

The works in this series are based on black-and-white satellite photographs of the surface of Mars, taken by NASA spacecraft as part of a search for clues about how long water existed on the planet. Ruff’s images show extreme close-ups of the planet’s rugged surface, until recently unseen. Downloading the pictures from NASA’s website, the artist used computer manipulation to infuse the gray-scale images with saturated color. The resulting chromogenic prints transform the originals into visual statements that both capture the sweeping enormity of the planetary surface while distancing themselves from representational imagery, evocative instead of abstract and minimalist compositions.