Thomas Ruff is the prototype of the artist whose work requires a great deal of preliminary research. An image demiurge, he sees the camera as more than simply an optical mechanical recording device, but rather as a powerful image machine through which he can transform the elements of reality into a new visual dimension. The images in Ruff’s Machines series form the core the exhibition at the MAST PhotoGallery. Presented with them are other series by Ruff, including Nights, Houses, Other Portraits, Jpegs, Photograms, and Negatives. These works come together in a powerful choir of voices speaking of machines and energies.