1. Select an artist
Choose ONE photographer you have seen so far that inspires you.
Albert Renger-Patzsch
•Create a gallery of their photographs (at least 8). You can find lots of images online but try to select those that are at least 800 pixels wide.
This photo emphasizes the elements of shape, pattern, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of shape, pattern, texture, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, tone, and focus.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, texture, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, texture, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, texture, and tone.
“Albert-Renger-Patzsch-Buchenwald-In-Fall-Or-Trees-1936. Rhythm | Albert Renger Patzsch, Art Photography, Tree.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/344595808979895900/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, texture, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch and Ernst Jünger at Pinakothek Der Moderne Munich – Artmap.com.” Artmap.com, artmap.com/pinakothek/exhibition/albert-renger-patzsch-and-ernst-juenger-2011. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
This photograph emphasizes the elements of line, focus, and tone.
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | Widewalls.” Www.widewalls.ch, www.widewalls.ch/artists/albert-renger-patzsch. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
•Make a list of at least 5 characteristics (typical things) that define your chosen photographs (Tip: think about the Formal Elements. Also, what do you see that’s similar in three or more of these pictures?)
Line, shape, texture, tone, focus. These pictures have a similarity in the utilization of black and white lenses, with a specific object in focus that carries a sense of age.
•Explain why you have chosen this photographer including how the photographer relates to your vision
I chose this photographer because Albert Renger-Patzsch’s work mainly emphasizes a single object, such as tree trunks, flowers, factories, machines, and windows in monochrome. This style of photograph shares similarities with my vision since my Statement of Intent Vision 2 pursues to capture monochrome photos, highlighting nature’s beauty, and focusing on fundamental elements of vertical line, focus, tone, and texture, which the work of Albert Renger-Patzsch can be an inspiration for my ideas.
•If you can – Find a quotation by your photographer and Explain why you chose the particular quotation and how it helps you understand the photographer’s work.
“In photography one should surely proceed from essence of the object and attempt to represent it with photographic terms alone” —— Albert Renger-Patzsch
“Albert Renger-Patzsch Quote.” A-Z Quotes, www.azquotes.com/quote/1444376. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.
I chose this particular quote because it helps me understand Albert Renger-Patzsch’s work by attempting to focus solely on a single object in a piece of photography instead of multiple things that may distract the audience. Additionally, his quote’s emphasis on “photographic terms” can relate to the formal elements we discussed during class. Therefore, it is important to think about the elements or features before taking a photograph to give us a clear goal to accomplish and emphasize the aspect we expect the audience to focus on.
2. Evaluate an image
“Albert Renger-Patzsch | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/4866.
Why did you choose this image in particular?
I chose this image because it is a monochrome photo, particularly emphasizing the element of focus and vertical line, where the tree trunk was successfully highlighted. These aspects match my statement of intent since I would like to pursue taking photos based on simple objects in nature such as tree trunks while focusing on the formal elements of vertical line, tone, texture, and focus.
•What do you find surprising or unusual about this photograph?
The tree trunk emphasized by the photographer is surprising because it appears more remarkable in the photograph than it does in real life.
•Look carefully and choose ONE of the Formal Elements that you think is important in the photograph (E.g. Focus, Light, Line, Repetition, Shape, Texture, Value/Tone).
Focus
•Describe why you think it is important (2 or 3 sentences)
The formal element of focus helps to convey the photographer’s intention and guides the viewer’s perception in abstract photography. By adjusting the sharpness of the object, whether it is focused or blurred, the photographer could easily emphasize specific details, textures, or patterns. This contributed to the communication of abstract concepts from the photographer to the viewer and enhanced the engagement of the viewers with the photos.
•In what ways are your chosen artist’s photographs abstract?
My chosen artist Albert Renger-Patzsch photographs are abstract because his work often highlights the essence of an object by emphasizing formal elements of vertical line, tone, texture, and focus, rather than a straightforward depiction and representation.
•What do you like about the style? Be specific and explain your answer.
I like the style of emphasizing the simplicity of an object (in this case, the tree trunk) by capturing it in monochrome that highlights formal elements of vertical line, tone, texture, and focus.
•How will you adapt this style to your own photography? How does the image/artist inspire YOU?
I will adapt this style by attempting to capture uncomplicated objects in nature, such as tree trunks with a relatively clear background while focusing on the formal elements of vertical line, tone, texture, and focus, then photoshop the picture to become a black-and-white lens. My chosen image and artist serve as a role model, showing me how to create a successful abstract monochrome photograph that accentuates the simplicity of nature, and I gained awareness of the importance of the formal elements of line, tone, texture, and focus.