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1915 Lascive LEA Lascivious
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 53 cm Photography - 16.9 x 20.9 inch
$4,432
1915 Nue au perroquet Nude with parrot
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 54 cm Photography - 16.9 x 21.3 inch
$5,553
Untitled
Mauricio Velez
Photography - 101.6 x 152.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 inch
$3,500
Untitled
Mauricio Velez
Photography - 101.6 x 152.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 inch
$3,500
Untitled
Mauricio Velez
Photography - 101.6 x 152.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 inch
$3,500
Don't Tell Mamma #11
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Don't Tell Mamma #8
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 88.9 x 88.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Black beauty II
Léa Bon
Photography - 48 x 72.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 18.9 x 28.59 x 0.1 inch
$6,000
Untitled: Movement 1
Ben Cope
Photography - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch
$2,400
Nu de la mer
Lucien Clergue
Photography - 59.5 x 49.4 x 1 cm Photography - 23.4 x 19.4 x 0.4 inch
$6,507
Dance On The Beach
Andreas Sundgren
Photography - 100 x 100 x 1 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch
$3,990
Gabriella #1
Andreas Sundgren
Photography - 80 x 120 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0.4 inch
$3,009
Ballerina
Andreas Sundgren
Photography - 106 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 41.7 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$3,009
Jason and Robin, Camber Sands
Richard Dunkley
Photography - 76.2 x 50.8 x 2.5 cm Photography - 30 x 20 x 1 inch
$458
Don't Tell Mamma #16
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Don't Tell Mamma #13
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Don't Tell Mamma #12
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 95.3 x 64.8 x 3.8 cm Photography - 37.5 x 25.5 x 1.5 inch
$4,000
Don't Tell Mamma #9
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Invacuo Project #27
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 81.3 x 119.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 32 x 47 x 0.1 inch
$4,900
Invacuo Project #25
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 81.3 x 119.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 32 x 47 x 0.1 inch
$4,900
Invacuo Project #24
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 81.3 x 119.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 32 x 47 x 0.1 inch
$4,900
Self Touches #10
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$4,900
Like a Bird
Solomon Jamy Brown
Photography - 100 x 70 x 0.05 cm Photography - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$3,105
A blurred story of a bride
Solomon Jamy Brown
Photography - 100 x 70 cm Photography - 39.4 x 27.6 inch
$3,590
Nude of Isabelle in Milan
Andrei Cristian Petrescu
Photography - 60 x 80 x 4 cm Photography - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$4,039
H0396 - The farmer
Idan Wizen
Photography - 90 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$3,085
H0390 - The flop
Idan Wizen
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$2,805
Shirley
Thierry Le Gouès
Photography - 125 x 200 x 0.1 cm Photography - 49.2 x 78.7 x 0 inch
$20,194
Georgianna
Thierry Le Gouès
Photography - 120 x 90 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$12,341
Fragmented-Untitled 5
Ying Chen
Photography - 203.2 x 152.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 80 x 60 x 0.1 inch
$4,000
Santa María, Black
Paola Dávila
Photography - 25 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 9.8 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$3,000
The Anatomy Lesson (Le Cours d'Anatomie)
Laura Makabresku
Photography - 30 x 20 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 inch
$365
Beauté de l'île
Clara Delaporte
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,122
Corps d'eau I
Clara Delaporte
Photography - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,122
Jambes noires
Jean-Pierre Fleury
Photography - 120 x 80 x 3 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$2,648
CoRpus AC maNus
Louis Blanc
Photography - 70 x 70 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$7,292
A whirlwind of emotions #1
Rani Bruchstein
Photography - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$4,885
Silhouette VII
Deana Nastic
Photography - 101 x 76 x 1 cm Photography - 39.8 x 29.9 x 0.4 inch
$5,946
According to Joan Miro
Jean-Claude Byandb
Photography - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$550
The Kate Series (portfolio of 5 images)
Leonard Freed
Photography - 20.3 x 25.4 cm Photography - 8 x 10 inch
$12,000
Mathilda
Gino Charpentier
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$449
Cathédrale
Gino Charpentier
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$449
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 60
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 42 x 29.7 x 1 cm Print - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.4 inch
$550
Jeanne Hébuterne - Planche 30
Nadine Van Der Straeten
Print - 42 x 29.7 x 1 cm Print - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.4 inch
$550
Kate running Single Bum with Hat
Sam Haskins
Photography - 40.6 x 30.4 cm Photography - 15.98 x 11.96 inch
$11,500
Série : Rituels en Haïti - Les jeunes, Haïti
Cristina García Rodero
Photography - 80 x 120 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 inch
$17,389 $15,650
Langue de danseuse
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 24 x 16 x 0.1 cm Photography - 9.4 x 6.3 x 0 inch
$337
Seated Ballet and Standing Ballet, Diptych. Mixed Media mounted on aluminum
Efren Isaza
Photography - 162.6 x 241.3 x 3.8 cm Photography - 64 x 95 x 1.5 inch
$26,000
Brigitte Bardot
Francis Apesteguy
Photography - 40 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$550
Du bout des doigts 1
Emeline Blanquet
Photography - 18 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 7.1 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$258
According to Jean Honore Fragonard
Jean-Claude Byandb
Photography - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$550
Don't Tell Mamma #10
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 119.4 x 81.3 x 0.3 cm Photography - 47 x 32 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Invacuo Project #32
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 81.3 x 119.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 32 x 47 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Invacuo Project #30
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 40.6 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 16 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Invacuo Project #18
Koray Erkaya
Photography - 81.3 x 119.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 32 x 47 x 0.1 inch
$5,250
Série Lignes Blanches, Y
Stefan Hoareau
Photography - 100 x 100 x 1 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch
$4,375
Série Lignes Blanches, S
Stefan Hoareau
Photography - 100 x 100 x 0.3 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.1 inch
$4,375
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!