The photography artist Thomas Kellner, born 1966 in Bonn and currently living in Siegen, is the fourth recipient of the Düren County’s Fine Art Award in 2009, which entails a prize money of 5.000 Euro. Kellner had already begun experimenting with pinhole camera techniques during his art studies in Siegen from 1989 to 1996. Since 1997 he has been creating photography pieces depicting famous buildings worldwide, pieces which on the one hand reflect modern deconstructionism with their kaleidoscopic composition and on the other hand combine aspects of the collage, photography and film media. The artist has been on display with single exhibitions not only between Munich and Hamburg, but also in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and London among others. Kellner’s works can also be found in major private and public collections, primarily in Germany and the United States. Presently, the artist’s works are featured in the

„Architekturen" exhibition in the Art Gallery, which is housed in the Poller Gallery in Frankfurt.
Thomas Kellner has perfected what once started with the Eiffel Tower in Paris into his own, distinctive style.

"Thomas Kellner works with a disassociation effect that is highly artistic and he engages the viewer very intensely in his pictures", characterizes Prof. Dr. Frank Günter Zehnder the new awardee’s work. The previous director of the Rheinische Landesmuseum Bonn and long-standing honorary professor of the art historic institute of the Bonn University is part of the jury of art experts, next to Dr. Dorothea Eimert, director of the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum in Düren. The jury, which consisted of all county council groups as well as art pundits, did not have an easy task as Zahnder acknowledges. "The quality of the handed in works was exceptionally high", states the art historian. Moreover, the trend towards photography art is conspicuous. Zehnder describes the fourth awardee’s work in the following way: "Kellner’s work stands out through its disassociation effect, which is highly artistic. In addition, the viewer very strongly participates in his pictures."

"Next to Volker Saul, Julia Seidensticker, and Dr. Herbert Falken we once again have with Thomas Kellner an awardee who was fully able to win over the jury with his remarkable pieces", head of the district authority Wolfgang Spelthahn explained after the confidential decision was made. A total of 40 artists had contested for the publicly announced award which is supported by the Sparkasse Düren and presented biannually. Apart from the prize money the winner receives an exhibition accompanied by a catalogue, whose publication is supported with further, up to 5.000 Euro.

The fourth award ceremony will take place in spring 2009 in the Düren County Hall. The exhibition is planned for spring 2010 in the German Glass Painting Museum in Linnich.