Born 1928 in Winterthur, Switzerland. Died 2019 in Zumikon, Switzerland.

Georg Gerster ranks as one of the world’s most important exponents of aerial photography. During half a century of aerial photography, Swiss photographer Georg Gerster, who also holds a doctorate degree in German Philology, has ennobled the conventional shot taken from a plane to the status of an aerial image. In doing this he has not only achieved technical mastery. Gerster’s images blend his fascination for abstract forms and intoxicating colours with his drive for knowledge. For him, the alienation effect inherent in the aerial photograph is not an end. He uses it to awaken respect in the viewer for the beauty and uniqueness of our planet. Gerster thus also promotes our understanding of the structures and life forms that have emerged over millennia, and documents the impact of human intervention on the ecological system. His detailed commentaries accompanying his often puzzling images testify to considerable expertise and an intense involvement with the visible givens.

Gerster’s works are represented in international collections such as Third National Bank of Ohio, Dayton, USA; Museum for Salt and Tabacco, Tokyo, Japan; Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur,Switzerland; Deutsches Salzmuseum, Lüneburg, Germany; Center for International Studies, Polytechnicum and University of Zürich, Switzerland; Zürcher Kantonalbank ZKB, Zurich, Switzerland.