Define Abstract Photography
Abstract photography does not follow the general photography rules. Compared to photographs we normally see, they intentionally use different elements, such as light, textures, etc., to construct a different/new perspective of objects that are often associated with our daily lives.
Researching the Starting Point
Pictorialism Movement reinvented photography as a type of art and led to the discussion about the artistic value of photography. Besides a record of scientific and representational photos, Pictorialism Movement gave photography an artistic value. In pictorialism, images are often manipulated in some ways to increase their artistic impact. Pictures with this style usually use soft focus, color tinting, and visible manipulation, which is associated with the increased use of Photoshop later. From 1885 to 1915, Pictorialism Movement was active in centers in England, France, and the USA, significantly impacting the world.
Opposite to Pictorialism Movement, Straight Photography Movement accurately recreates a representation of reality. It highlights the technological ability of the camera itself to generate clear, detailed photos. Thus, Straight Photography is synonymous with “pure photography.” Since in the Straight Photography Movement, photographs are not manipulated, they can portray the scene or subject as clearly as the camera sees it. I think the Straight Photography Movement is popular among photographers because it is easier to master than other photography styles. Lines, shapes, and compositions are concepts that are easy to understand; Therefore, it is acceptable to many people, including those new to photography. The general rules in Straight Photography Movement are simple, low threshold, and easy to follow, which can be a good start for many new photographers. Secondly, the Straight Photography Movement shows the original charm of the camera’s ability, maximizing the function of the camera itself, which, again, demonstrates the artistic value of photography.
One example of the Straight Photography Movement is Aaron Siskind’s photographs (the picture below). Aaron Siskind is an American photographer. His photos are presented on flat surfaces with great details in lines, shapes, and texture, fully demonstrating straight photography’s characteristics.
Andreas Gursky’s photographs often include large-scale architecture and are colorful. This high point of view makes his work abstract. This makes everything in the picture look small and become a color dot; however, his photographs still contain some patterns. For instance, in the image below, a pattern exists between these cars and the containers at the back, but the different colors of the cars/containers make it look abstract. In my opinion, he is also a straight photographer since photos that are shots from a high point of view often show a lot of details. As I mentioned before, we notice that Andreas Gursky also focuses on compositions and shapes in his photographs.
Uta Barth, a contemporary German-American photographer, enjoys inverting the idea of background and foreground in his images. Therefore, created this picture below. It is blurry, which breaks the “rules” of photography, but at the same time, this also makes the photo look abstract. As a straight photographer, he does not meet the characteristics of straight photography since no details are included in these photos, and it is unclear. However, some of his other works do have straight photography components, but judging from this picture, he is not a straight photographer.
