Thomas Kellner
Thomas Kellner was born in Bonn, Germany in 1966. In 1996 he finished his studies in art and social sciences for to become a teacher at highschool at the University of Siegen, Germany. Right from the beginning of his studies his basic interest was into experimental photography. He grew different pinhole series, photogramwork and printings in alternative technics like Cyanotype and others. Kellner received the prize for young professionals by Kodak Germany for his final project. In 1997 he decided to concentrate into photography. In 2003/2004 he received a visiting professorship for photography in art at the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen. He works as freelens and artist and lives in Siegen, Germany.
Till end of his time at University his work had been nationally and internationally exhibited and published. With his series of the European monuments since 1997 he experienced a wider international recommendation. Since he came to FotoFest Houston 2002 he found a wider recognition, several exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities around the US, with a lot of portfolios in international magazines like Aperture, New York. Today he his well represented by galleries in Europe and the United States. His work has been collected by private collectors and museums, such as Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and The Art Institute of Chicago.
Kellners photos are contently and formaly defined by a wide range complexity. We find this in his multiple exposured pinhole work and deconstructive architectures. His pictures gain in his treatment of nature, architecture and human being the quality of a still picture. They make us persevere, get into a deeper contemplation and thinking about nowadays themes. At his monuments we might smile, think about our cultural values, their meanings and vulnarability.
Kodak award for young professionals 1996
Art Award by the city of Düren 1997
Member of the Association of Professional Photographers, BFF, 1998 - 2003
Member of "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fotografie, DGPh" since 2004
2009 Fine Art Award by the district government of Dueren
2009 Award of excellence by the Pingyao International Photography Festival
Solo-Exhibitions - selection:
2019
Brühler Kunstverein, Genius loci
Stadtmuseum Münster, Black& White
Deutsches Fotomuseum, Markkleeberg
2017/2018
Reykjavik Museum of Photography, Reykjavik
2017
Fox Talbot Museum of Photography, Chippenham
2016
Black & White, Artgalerie, Siegen, Germany
Black & White, in focus Galerie, Cologne, Germany
2015
genius loci - Zwei Siegener im Zarenland, Kultur Flecken Silberstern e.V., Freudenberg, Germany
genius loci - Zwei Siegener im Zarenland, Weisbachsches Haus, Plauen, Germany Ballarat
International Photobiennale, August 22 - September 20, 2015, Ballarat, Australia
2014
Contacts, Galerie Vrais Reves, Lyon France
Genius loci, Photoparade Uglich, Yaroslavl Region Russian Federation
Genius loci, Landtag NRW, Düsseldorf Germany
Kontakt, Miejska Galeria Sztuki, Zakopane Poland
Genius loci, Artgalerie, Siegen Germany
2013
Kontakt, Kunsthaus Rhenania, Köln, kuratiert von in focus Galerie
Kontaktbogenbilder, Kunstverein kunstvoll, Bad Nauheim, Germany
Galeria Sztuki, Zakopane, September, Poland
2012
Small Wonders, Lishui Museum of Photography, Lishui, Peoples Republic of China
2011
art.fair, Messe für zeitgenössiche Kunst, Köln mit in focus Galerie
2010
ecco, espaco cultural contemporaneo, Brasilia, Brasilien
Deutsches Glasmalereimuseum, Linnich, Düren
in focus Galerie, Köln
2009
Cotton Mill Factory, Pingyao, The Peoples Republic of China
2008
The Boston Athenaeum, Boston, USA
Schneider Gallery, Chicago, USA
John Cleary Gallery, Houston, USA
K4 galerie Saarbrücken
in focus Galerie, Burkhard Arnold, Köln (Oktober - Dezember)
Galerie Maurer, München
2006
Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Schneider Gallery, Chicago, USA
Cohen Amador Gallery, New York
2005
Galleri Image, Dänemark
FotoArte, Brasilia, Brasilien
Galerie Maurer, München
2004
in focus, Galerie, Köln
Schneider Gallery, Chicago, USA
Neuer Kunstverein Giessen
IHK-Galerie, Siegen
2003
Rosenberg & Kaufmann Fine Art, New York, USA
Schneider Gallery, Chicago, USA
Ffotogallery@Turner House, Cardiff, Wales
2002
Galerie Objekte Wolfgang F. Maurer, München
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, USA
2001
Städtische Galerie, Iserlohn
in focus Galerie, Köln
Städtische Galerie Haus Seel, Siegen
1996
Galerie F, Bad Nauheim
1994
Villa Waldrich, Siegen
1993
Kunstverein Eschweiler
Group-Exhibitions - selection:
2014
MedienKunstVerein, Dortmund Germany
Schloss Bruchsal, Bruchsal Germany
Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin Germany
Landscape Awards Finalist, headon Festival, Sidney Australia
Städtische Galerie Haus Seel, Siegen Germany
Kuntsraum Carmen Oberst, Hamburg Germany
Museum of History, Santa Fe New Mexico USA
2013
Titles & Icons, in focus Galerie, Köln
2010
Rena Sternberg Gallery, Glencoe,
Silverlens Gallery, Manila
l'Orangerie du Thabor, Rennes
FotoFest, Houston
Staedtische Galerie Haus Seel, Siegen
Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid
2009
Eastern Michigan University Gallery, Ypsilanti
2008
Ffotogallery@Turnerhouse, Cardiff,
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Schneider Gallery, Chicago
2007
Tower - Idea, Identity, Icon - Hearst Tower NYC, USA
Thought Provoking - Sense Provoking, Noorderlicht Gallery
Cologne Fine Art mit in focus Galerie, Köln
2006
Cologne Fine Art mit in focus Galerie, Köln
2004
„discoveries of FotoFest 2002", FotoFest, Houston, USA & FotoArte; Brasilia
„monument recall", SF Camerawork, San Francisco, USA
„Pieced Together: Photomontage from the Collection", The Art Institute of Chicago
"Dislocation": Volkswagen fotogalerie, at the Fringe Club Hong Kong, China & Toronto, Canada
"Ars & Archittetura 1900-2000", Genua, Italien
2003
"Moneten, Maeuse, Kohlen", Museum für Kommunikation, Hamburg
"Narrascape", The New Art Gallery Walsall, GB
"stone", Miami, USA & Centro del Imagem, Mexico City
2002
"Memoriam Reinhold Mißelbeck", Kunstverein Siegburg
"Vues d'architecture ", Musée de Grenoble, Frankreich
"London in Photography", British Council, Estland, Lettland, Litauen
Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Denver, USA
2000
"Kunst-Geld", Industrie- und Handelsbank, Berlin
1999
"Große Kunstausstellung NRW", Düsseldorf
1998
"Natur I", Fotogalerie Wien
"Bild und Text", Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét, Ungarn
"festival-off", Paris
1996
"4 Gramm Lochkorn", Galerie Nei Liicht, Dudelange, Luxemburg
1993 "Zwischenzeit-Camera obscura im Dialog", Siegen
Sammlungen:
George Eastman House, Rochester, USA
Industrie- und Handelskammer, Siegen
Kreis Siegen-Wittgenstein, Siegen
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA
Museum of Photography, Burghausen
North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, USA
Oberhessisches Museum, Giessen
Pinhole Ressource, San Lorenzo, New Mexico, USA
Sammlung Schuppmann, Kassel
The Art Institute of Chicago, Collection of Photography, Chicago, USA
The Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, USA
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Kunstsammlung, Köln
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
In privaten Sammlungen
in Argentinien, Belgien, Österreich, Kanada, Frankreich, Deutschland, Großbritannien, Italien, Spanien, Schweiz, USA
Thomas Kellner, Monographs
2016
Black & White, Lüdenscheid /Berlin: seltmann + söhne, Hardcover 104 pages, 40 €
2014
- Thomas Kellner, Genius loci. Lüdenscheid /Berlin: seltmann + söhne.
- Thomas Kellner, Genius loci. Yekaterinburg: Metenkow House Museum of Photography.
- Thomas Kellner, Kontakt. Lüdenscheid / Berlin: seltmann+soehne.
2013
- Thomas Kellner, Housten, we´ve had a problem
2012
Thomas Kellner + Dirk Josef Müller, "Idealbilder", Siegen
2011
Thomas Kellner, "Mexiko", Berlin
2010
Thomas Kellner: "Farbwelt 135-36", Düren, Deutschland
Thomas Kellner: "Brasilia, 50 Anos de Utopia Moderna", Brasilien
2008
Thomas Kellner: "The Boston Athenaeum", Boston, USA
2007
Thomas Kellner: "Dancing Walls", Siegen
2005
Thomas Kellner: "Tango Metropolis", Galleri Image, Denmark
2003
Thomas Kellner: "Ozymandias", herausgegeben von FfotogalleryPublishing,
Cardiff, Wales, mit einem Vorwort von A.D. Coleman
"Thomas Kellner - interaktiv", CD-ROM, herausgegeben vom Studiengang Medienpanung -Entwicklung und -beratung an der Universität Siegen
2001
Thomas Kellner: "Monumente", Hrsg.: Galerie in focus am Dom, Köln und
Städtische Galerie Iserlohn, mit einem Vorwort von Gerhard Glüher
2000
Thomas Kellner: "11-Loch-Arbeiten", Gummersbach
1998
Thomas Kellner: "Germany - view from inside out", MRD, Siegen
(mit Texten von Prof. Dr. Hubertus von Amelunxen und Dr. Markus Hellenthal)
selected publications
2007 Thought Provoking - Sense Provoking, Noorderlicht Foundation, Groningen,
Netherlands
2004 "Ars & Architettura 1900-2000", Skira Genua, Italien
camerawork, San Francisco, USA
„INTIM",Fotografische Arbeiten von Studierenden der Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Hrsg
2003 "Narrascape", The New Art Gallery Walsall, Großbritannien
Aperture, New York, USA
2002 Next Level, London, Großbritannien (mit einem Text von Rhonda Wilson)
„Vues d'Architectures, Photograpies de XIX et XX siecles", Musée de Grenoble, Frankreich
2001 Eikon, 35/2001, Wien, Österreich (Text von Reinhold Mißelbeck, Museum Ludwig, Köln)
1999 „Camera Obscura", Lille, Frankreich
1998 „Picture and Text", Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét, Ungarn
„Nature 1", Fotogalerie Wien, Österreich Ausstellungskatalog
1997 „The Shadow", Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét, Ungarn
1994 "Rediscovering a historic technic", Eric Renner, Focal Press, USA
1993 „Camera obscura", Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét, Ungarn
„Zwischenzeit - Camera obscura im Dialog", Siegen, Mitherausgeber
1992 Ein Bild eins, Portfolio zeitgenössischer Kunst mit Fotografie, in: agenda - Zeitschrift für Medien, Bildung, Kultur, Herausgegeben von: Adolf-Grimme-Institut, Marl, Vol. 4/92