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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!

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Photography, Hansuben, John Kenny

Hansuben

John Kenny

Photography - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,992

Painting, Survey 5, Tom McGlynn

Survey 5

Tom McGlynn

Painting - 55.8 x 83.8 cm Painting - 22 x 33 inch

$1,739

Painting, Swipe 3, Anne Russinof

Swipe 3

Anne Russinof

Painting - 30 x 23 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.1 inch

$1,183

Photography, Dendara, Mihaela Ivanova

Dendara

Mihaela Ivanova

Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$883

Photography, El barbudo, James Sparshatt

El barbudo

James Sparshatt

Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,106

Photography, Eden Hartford, Slim Aarons

Eden Hartford

Slim Aarons

Photography - 101 x 101 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.8 x 39.8 x 0 inch

$4,668

Photography, Debutante ball, Slim Aarons

Debutante ball

Slim Aarons

Photography - 101 x 76 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.8 x 29.9 x 0 inch

$4,668

Photography, Saks Fifth Ave, Slim Aarons

Saks Fifth Ave

Slim Aarons

Photography - 51 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 20.1 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$4,001

Photography, Balti XI, Tanguy Mendrisse

Balti XI

Tanguy Mendrisse

Photography - 30 x 24 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$152

Print, M228, Jesús Perea

M228

Jesús Perea

Print - 70 x 100 cm Print - 27.6 x 39.4 inch

$1,739

Print, M271, Jesús Perea

M271

Jesús Perea

Print - 100 x 70 cm Print - 39.4 x 27.6 inch

$1,739

Print, M420, Jesús Perea

M420

Jesús Perea

Print - 100 x 70 cm Print - 39.4 x 27.6 inch

$1,739

Painting, Pallium, Yoann Merienne

Pallium

Yoann Merienne

Painting - 140 x 90 x 3 cm Painting - 55.1 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch

$9,360

Sculpture, Snake, Pere Aragay

Snake

Pere Aragay

Sculpture - 50 x 20 x 40 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 7.9 x 15.7 inch

$2,925

Photography, Kiss, NYC, Bob Gruen

Kiss, NYC

Bob Gruen

Photography - 40.6 x 50.8 x 1.3 cm Photography - 16 x 20 x 0.5 inch

$2,650

Photography, Stillness, Angela Cameron

Stillness

Angela Cameron

Photography - 101.6 x 139.7 x 0.5 cm Photography - 40 x 55 x 0.2 inch

$1,700

Photography, Tom Waits, Michael Putland

Tom Waits

Michael Putland

Photography - 61 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$2,047

Photography, Prince, Michael Putland

Prince

Michael Putland

Photography - 61 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$2,047

Photography, Billy Joel, Michael Putland

Billy Joel

Michael Putland

Photography - 61 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$2,047

19/98