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Mist Mountains
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$268
Structural Beauty
Alexander Benz
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$514
Man Curve Three: From Motion Series
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$2,222
Man waist One: From Motion Series
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$2,222
Man waist Two: From Motion Series
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$2,222
Man jumping our of the water, Two: From Motion Series
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$2,222
La Tour Seegmuller - 2
Jean Valera
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.6 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch
$212
Wellenelement multiple Rotation
Hein Gravenhorst
Photography - 50 x 50 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$16,770
Wellenelement multiple Rotation
Hein Gravenhorst
Photography - 50 x 50 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$16,770
Wellenelement multiple Rotation
Hein Gravenhorst
Photography - 50 x 50 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$16,770
Lichtreflex - Translation / Rotation
Hein Gravenhorst
Photography - 38 x 28 cm Photography - 15 x 11 inch
$16,770
Caligraff 10
Richard Saint-Amans
Fine Art Drawings - 56 x 76 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$335
Beneath the Night
Jessica Houston
Painting - 152 x 152 x 2 cm Painting - 59.8 x 59.8 x 0.8 inch
$6,400
Act 2 | Is the pilot still with us?
Grzegorz Sikorski
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$280
JLO, Jennifer Lopez. Portrait.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.8 x 82.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45.2 x 32.5 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Douglas Booth II, Portrait
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.3 x 78.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45 x 31 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Elizabeth Olsen. Portrait
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.3 x 78.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45 x 31 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Origianals. Bella Hadid. Portrait
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.8 x 82.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45.2 x 32.5 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Julianna Margulies, Portrait.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.3 x 78.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45 x 31 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Elizabeth Olsen Portrait
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85 x 62 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.5 x 24.4 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Jennifer Lopez. Gold Edition Portrait
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.1 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0 inch
$4,000
Elizabeth Banks. Gold Edition
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Lewis Hamilton, Portrait on canvas
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 187.9 x 132 x 3 cm Photography - 74 x 52 x 1.2 inch
$5,000
Elizabeth Olsen. Portrait intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Bruno Mars, Portrait. Mounted
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 114.8 x 82.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 45.2 x 32.5 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Toni Garnn II. B&W Photo intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Jamie Dornan, B&W Portrait intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Toni Garnn, Portrait intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Pharrell Williams, Portrait on canvas.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 187.9 x 132 x 3 cm Photography - 74 x 52 x 1.2 inch
$5,000
David Gandy. Portrait intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Pharrell Williams. Portrait intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Diane K, Portrait Intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 85.8 x 62.2 x 0.1 cm Photography - 33.8 x 24.5 x 0 inch
$4,000
B. Portrait intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 74.9 x 59.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 29.5 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$3,500
Laßt Blumen Sprechen. Photograph intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 52.8 x 39.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$3,800
Gewitter. Photograph intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 52.8 x 39.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$3,800
Tokyo. Photograph intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 54.6 x 44.5 x 0.3 cm Photography - 21.5 x 17.5 x 0.1 inch
$3,500
1 Kilomètre #10
Laure Debrosse
Photography - 40 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$559
Interstellar III
Shine Huang
Photography - 106.7 x 106.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42 x 42 x 0.1 inch
$5,800
Interstellar II
Shine Huang
Photography - 106.7 x 106.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42 x 42 x 0.1 inch
$5,800
Interstellar
Shine Huang
Photography - 106.7 x 106.7 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42 x 42 x 0.1 inch
$5,800
Le Ballet du grand Fleuve
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 13 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$391
Quand la brume s’étend
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 20 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$391
Cinematography inspired session #27
Grzegorz Sikorski
Photography - 60 x 45 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 17.7 x 0 inch
$212
Oromo Lady of Bati
John Kenny
Photography - 67 x 45 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch
$3,304
Beauty in the Sahel
John Kenny
Photography - 67 x 45 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,577
Samburu shepherd
John Kenny
Photography - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$3,304
Sans titre (Un jour, une photo)
Aline Part
Photography - 67 x 50 x 0.2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$559
Matthew Barney
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 61 x 43.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 17 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Matthew Barney
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 61 x 43.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 17 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Matthew Barney, Isle of Man
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 61 x 43.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 17 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Satyr, Drawing Restraint 7, Matthew Barney studio, NYC
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 43.2 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 43.2 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Les porteuses d’eau, N'Djamena, Tchad
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$391
Constance (Girlfriend), NYC
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Tabboo! Wigstock, NYC
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Jem Jender, Studio, NYC
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Joey Arias Channeling Billie Holiday, NYC
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
A few stolen moments
Luca Brandi
Painting - 100 x 80 x 4.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.8 inch
$5,814
Magnetic Radiation 14 (Medium)
Seb Janiak
Photography - 120 x 120 cm Photography - 47.2 x 47.2 inch
$4,625
Bird cage
Sebastian Riemer
Photography - 105 x 130 x 3 cm Photography - 41.3 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
$7,826
Children Shuttle
Hugo Gus Babey
Photography - 70 x 120 x 0.2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 47.2 x 0.1 inch
$1,118
Pêcheurs aux narguilés
Marie Dorigny
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$559
Black and white
Before the arrival of photography – with the exception of some etchings and lithographs – all the images we consumed were in colour. Quite simply, because no one would ever have thought to do anything else – why paint in black and white when colour was so readily available?
Yet despite this, today many photographers still choose to work in black and white – such as Pauline Théon, Kadir Von Lohuizen or Joh Lowenstein – even though their photos are taken in colour by the camera itself. Is the black and white trend a fleeting effect of fashion, or a symbolic return to the roots of the photography movement? Black and white photography has something that colour photos, despite recent innovations and the extraordinary quality of images today, cannot quite access. The use of black and white lends significant force to the composition: the contrasts, the shadows and the figures all stand out more strongly. People simply feel differently when faced with a colour photo versus a black and white image.
Colour is a distraction of sorts, a disturbance: colour is a nuisance.
And yet, some photographers still prefer colour to black and white, whilst others merge touches of colour with otherwise monochrome compositions. But in the end, all agree that both styles impose a totally different way of looking at a photo: from researching the shot to post production work, when artists develop or retouch the image. The use of colour is therefore something of a process in its own right, relating to two different ways of viewing the world and showing it others. The question, then, is what is being told, and why is it being in the way that it is?
The symbolic value of putting black and white together is a good starting point for reflecting on the fascination that they generate even today. There could not be a more fascinating, more striking ambivalence than when black, the 'colour' of darkness and burnt coal, considered a non-colour, is placed alongside white – representing light, and the result of all the colours merged together.
The problem faced by photographers today is that black and white still carry strong connotations of the past, of an era before the popularisation of colour and its massive cultural recovery amongst the press and photo journalists. In fact, it is rare now that contemporary subjects are photographed in colour, but we still associate black and white images with a retro feel.
So what does contemporary art have to say about it all? Discover Artsper's selection of black and white works: on the border of past and present, of the real and the imaginary… let us guide you!