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L’enfant et le soldat
José Nicolas
Photography - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$335
Tramway à Lisbonne
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$447
Bernard Kouchner en Afghanistan 1984
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$447
Tchad, regard furtif
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$335
Soirée parisienne
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$335
Ecole a Grand Bassam
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$335
Lumiere vegetale IX
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumière végétale VIII
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumiere vegetale VII
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumière végétale VI
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumière végétale V
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumière végétale IV
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Lumière végétale III
Nicolas Le Beuan Bénic
Print - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$313
Anatomie 8
LN Le Cheviller
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$798
Milan, the Duomo
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Tenerife, the palm trees
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Deauville, the beach
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Prague, on Charles Bridge
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Rovinj, mirror on the Adriatic
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Rome, Trevi Fountain selfies
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Bristol, hot air balloons
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Vukovar, the railway station
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Deauville, the sea
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$558
Covid Escapades
Kamal Obat
Photography - 58.4 x 41.7 x 2.5 cm Photography - 23 x 16.42 x 1 inch
$800
Contre courant
Jean-Guy Nakars
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$726
Désertification
Romain Liverato
Photography - 40 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$837
Wonderland : Faith I & Change
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$435
Masked Queens II
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$614
Soledad : Frida's Reflections II / Digital Collage
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$614
Métamorphose d’un Roi
Chahrazed Fekih
Photography - 12.5 x 18 x 0.2 cm Photography - 4.9 x 7.1 x 0.1 inch
$558 $363
006 - American Circus Paris
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$335
002- American Circus Paris
José Nicolas
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$335
Le solitaire
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Portrait de Grogu
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$391
Portrait de Grogu
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 46 x 56 x 0.2 cm Photography - 18.1 x 22 x 0.1 inch
$391
Fantômes du désert
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Trou noir … ou blanc
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Temps suspendu
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Grande Sybille
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 6040 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 2378 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Dessin (in) animé
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
… or white ?
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Chef d’orchestre
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Clavecin architectural
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Orgues célestes version MR Hyde
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Orgues célestes
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Clocher d’Imhotep
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Black pyramids
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
Dieu es-tu là ?
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,116
In the Still of the Night in New York
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 40.6 x 50.8 x 1.9 cm Painting - 16 x 20 x 0.75 inch
$2,200
Street Art/Photo Collage III
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$614
Seabirds : Connection
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$759
Seabirds : Distance
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$759
By The Sea
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$759
Earthy Delights
Ellie Sass (Sassayiannis)
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$759
Heatwave
Amrita Bilimoria
Photography - 114.3 x 76.2 x 0.5 cm Photography - 45 x 30 x 0.2 inch
$3,000
Rhythms of Resilience IV
Gauthier Bouret
Photography - 75 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$837
Rhythms of Resilience II
Gauthier Bouret
Photography - 75 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$837
Flower poem: gravity
Jihun Ju
Photography - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch
$450
Squelette de poisson (piezography)
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.5 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$391
Pointe du Raz (piezography)
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.5 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$391
Allée couverte du Kernic
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 21 x 39 x 0.5 cm Photography - 8.3 x 15.4 x 0.2 inch
$402
Lionne (Piezography)
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 30 x 45 x 0.5 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch
$447
Fauteuil abandonné
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 48 x 65 x 0.5 cm Photography - 18.9 x 25.6 x 0.2 inch
$502
Nature morte au gramophone
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 24 x 32 x 0.5 cm Photography - 9.4 x 12.6 x 0.2 inch
$391
Crâne et Ksar
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 26 x 36 x 0.5 cm Photography - 10.2 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch
$391
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!