- How can photography change our relationship with things?
Abstract photography teaches us to see things around our daily life through a different perspective, either enlarged or zoomed out.
- What is pictorialism?
Pictorialism is an approach to photography that emphasizes the tone, composition, and the subject itself rather than focusing on reality.
- What is abstract photography?
Abstract photography is photographs that come from things around our daily lives. It is photographs that we use every day but displayed from a completely new perspective. If we don’t look closely, we may never see a connection between the photograph and things in our daily life. Abstract photographs could be used to show the emotions or thoughts of the photographer as well.
- Write a (very) short biography of Albert Renger-Patzsch (just 1 or 2 sentences).
Albert Renger-Patzsch was a German photographer associated with the New Objectivity, an art movement that originated in Germany as a reaction against expressionism.
- From looking at his images above, What types of subjects do you think Albert Renger-Patzsch preferred to photograph?
Pictorialism, black & white, and abstract photos.
- Why do you think he entitled his famous book, ‘The World is Beautiful’?
Albert Renger-Patzsch titled his book “The World is Beautiful” because he wanted it to support abstract photography. Since abstract photography requires us to look in a different perspective than normal, we can take many interesting photos from the very common things around us, which can
- Why do you think Edward Weston moved away from the soft focus of pictorialism to the new Straight photography movement? – the idea that ordinary objects and scenes can be photographed to reveal their beauty
I think that Edward Weston wanted to catch the true beauty of the common and unattractive things around us. As well as to convey a message that the most common things in our daily lives could be seen as special and meaningful if we look from another perspective.
- Give examples of one of his pictorialist images and one of his straight images.
Pictorialist:
The White Iris
Straight:
Pepper No. 30
- How has Aaron Siskind (above been influenced by the Straight Photography Movement
Aaron Siskind was the one of the first photographers to combine straight photography with abstraction,
- Name some other photographers that have been influenced by straight photography
Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, and Walker Evans.
- What makes the work of Andreas Gursky and Uta Barth abstract. Are they straight photographers? Why?
Andreas Gursky:
In the 1990s, Andreas Gursky used digital technology to manipulate the backgrounds of his photos, making them look abstract.
Uta Barth:
Uta Barth uses the scenes around us to create photos that seem to be gloomy and unfocused. However, Barth does this to make the viewer focus on the fundamental act of looking and the process of perception.
However, they are not straight photographers because their photos are not what the audience would normally comment as a “good” photo. Furthermore, they do not have a specific subject, or are considered unfocused and thus we may see these photos as blurry and unfocused.
Citations:
MacArthur Foundation “Uta Barth” MacArthur Foundation, October 2, 2012, https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2012/uta-barth#searchresults
“Andreas Gursky Artist Overview and Analysis”. [Internet]. 2022. TheArtStory.org
Content compiled and written by Hope Guzzo
Edited and revised, with Summary and Accomplishments added by Kimberly Nichols
Available from: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gursky-andreas/
First published on 21 Sep 2017. Updated and modified regularly
[Accessed 21 Sep 2022]