Abstract Forms
What Is Abstract Photography?
Much in the same way as abstract art, abstract photography focuses mainly on differences on shape, form, pattern, colour and texture. Instead of viewing the image in an optical way, abstract photography has the aim to focus more on the essence of the object or subject within the photo. The image will not often be clear or of a definite object, but the impact of the essence in turn tends to bring out aspects such as the formal elements.
"The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and ironically, the more real." - Lucian Freud
Abstract Artists
These artists have all produced work using the basis of only light and paper. Some have cut paper in certain ways to give the effect of a 3D piece or to create and cast a shadow. Interestingly, all the artists have worked in two-tones to possibly help highlight the effect of the contrast of their work.
Francis Bruguière
Vjeko Sager
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed is an English photographer who claims his objective is to sustain the interest of the viewer through his photographs. He focuses heavily on a contrast in the shadows from the light on the paper, giving a very two-toned effect. Reed states he was inspired by Francis Bruguiere's paper work and is working on his own three year project "comprised of twenty-six images".
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Tamara Lorenz
Tamara Lorenz is a German artist who creates pieces by hand, and after photographs them to emphasize certain aspects of the piece. Unlike the other atrists, Lorenz focuses much more on the paper side of the construction rather than the light to enhance her work. She uses bold strong complementary colours to show the sharp contrast with the line and shape of her work.
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My Response
Looking at the work of abstract photographers above, I was then inspired to create my own using only paper and light. I took the colour element of Tamara Lorenz's work with the interest in lighting from Bruguiere and Reed's images. I experimented by folding and rolling and ripping paper in different ways to see the different effects I could achieve.
I then decided to edit these images so I could focus more on the shapes created by the paper. I did this by cropping the images in certain ways and also adding contrast and filters or completely taking colour away enabling me to focus more on the how light is used with the paper.
Response 2:
I decided to experiment with photographing a piece of paper that I folded repeatedly. I changed various settings until I was happy with the level of contrast and brightness. My aim was to transform the photograph just enough so that it became less obviously a folded piece of paper. I wanted the viewer to question what it was they were seeing and concentrate on the play of light and dark rather than be distracted by the subject.