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Stone Crossing, China. Silver gelatin print
Monica Denevan
Photography - 38 x 38 cm Photography - 15 x 15 inch
$1,040
Long white shirt. Silver gelatin print
Monica Denevan
Photography - 38 x 38 cm Photography - 15 x 15 inch
$1,040
Terra Incognita - Icare
Guillaume Pépy
Photography - 105 x 70 cm Photography - 41.3 x 27.6 inch
$1,563
Rembrandt, Frederick Rihel
Lucio Forte
Painting - 29 x 22 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 8.7 x 0 inch
$145
Two opinions one truth
Robert Stieghorst
Photography - 30 x 26 x 2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 10.2 x 0.8 inch
$1,451
Act 9 | Hello? We need a doctor
Grzegorz Sikorski
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$279
Mist Mountains
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$268
Urbain typographie - Photographie digigraphie
Claire Giraudeau
Photography - 40 x 30 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 inch
$167
Sans titre #6
Thierry Valencin
Photography - 47 x 39 x 4 cm Photography - 18.5 x 15.4 x 1.6 inch
$1,563
Caballero, One
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$2,222
Growing space VI
Gergana Tabakova
Painting - 140 x 150 x 5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 59.1 x 2 inch
$2,791
Pêcheur de Loire
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 13 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$335
Où est Charlie ? II
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$547
Jet d'oiseaux sur Beaubourg
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 30 x 24 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.1 inch
$134
Ear Cast
Lyubena Fox
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 35 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
$893
Sourire Omar
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 28 x 43 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11 x 16.9 x 0.1 inch
$781
Bouche homme
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$781
Bouche femme
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$781
Jeune touareg
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 45 x 38 x 1 cm Photography - 17.7 x 15 x 0.4 inch
$781
Le photographe
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$781
Enfant école coranique sénégal
Emmanuelle Barbaras
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$781
Does your Gucci make you happi?
Brendan North
Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 cm Photography - 20 x 16 inch
$1,550
Sans titre
Helga Stüber-Nicolas
Photography - 20.5 x 20.5 x 4 cm Photography - 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.6 inch
$625
Point de vue basket ball 2
Raynald Najosky
Photography - 30 x 20 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$670
Point de vue basket ball
Raynald Najosky
Photography - 30 x 20 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$670
Regard Blanc - Digital art digigraphie
Claire Giraudeau
Photography - 70 x 50 cm Photography - 27.6 x 19.7 inch
$279
Chanel Autrement / Jeune fille à la perle.
Franck Doat
Photography - 30 x 25 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.8 x 0 inch
$614
Once Upon a Time
Rika Maja Duevel
Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,351
Regard Blanc - Photographie digigraphie
Claire Giraudeau
Photography - 70 x 50 cm Photography - 27.6 x 19.7 inch
$279
Manglar Nuquí
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 61 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 20 x 0.1 inch
$900
Raíces Selva Oscura
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 61 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 20 x 0.1 inch
$900
Los órganos Chingaza
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 50.8 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$900
Frailejón Páramo de las papas, Pigment Print
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 61 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 20 x 0.1 inch
$900
Peak Mid Winter #6
Jonathan Moore
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$981
Peak Mid Winter #4
Jonathan Moore
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$981
Selva Oscura Macizo Colombiano, Silver Gelatin Print
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 27.9 x 35.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 11 x 14 x 0.1 inch
$900
Rainbow Flag
Luca Artioli
Photography - 68.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 27 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,000
Manifesto VI.
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto V.
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto IV
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto VII
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Race. From the Manifesto series
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
O Carnaval. From the Brazil and Beyond series
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto II.
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto III.
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto I
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Manifesto XIV/ Medium Size Print
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,000
Untitled 29 (Paris)
Arslan Sükan
Photography - 112 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 44.1 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$4,000
Vague expression
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 20 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$335
Brume de rêve
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 13 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$335
Mirage Ligérien
Dominique Jullien
Photography - 13 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$391
Ballerina III
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$218
La misurazione dello spazio
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 30 x 43 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 16.9 x 0 inch
$145
Blues d'Eiffel
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$324
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 74 & 75
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 42 x 59.4 x 1 cm Print - 16.5 x 23.4 x 0.4 inch
$770
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 12 & 13
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 59.4 x 42 x 1 cm Print - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch
$659
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 2 & 3
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 42 x 59.4 x 1 cm Print - 16.5 x 23.4 x 0.4 inch
$659
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 72
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 59.4 x 42 x 1 cm Print - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch
$659
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!