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Nude Carla Bruni a genoux, Harper Bazar
Philippe Robert
Photography - 110 x 82 x 2 cm Photography - 43.3 x 32.3 x 0.8 inch
$12,341
Pierre Desproges
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 25 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 9.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$505
Coluche - Iconic portraits
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$505
Floating memories 03
Yasuo Kiyonaga
Photography - 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 16 x 20 x 0.1 inch
$898
La Tortue de Kerlouan
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Arbres calcinés du champ de bataille 14-18
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Tranchées de Beaumont-Hamel 14-18
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Tour d'Ulster - Guerre 14-18
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Mémorial Australien de Villers-Bretonneux
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Mémorial Franco-Britannique de Thiepval 14-18 (1) (1)
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
Cimetière Britannique de Contay 14-18
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 34 x 51 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.4 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$180
The Mimic
Amrita Bilimoria
Photography - 30.5 x 39.6 x 0.5 cm Photography - 12 x 15.6 x 0.2 inch
$1,200
Un jardin pour Eugène D. #09
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$4,039
Un jardin pour Eugène D. #02
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$4,039
L'Envers
Christelle Yambayisa
Photography - 70 x 105 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0.8 inch
$2,132
Retranchement
Christelle Yambayisa
Photography - 70 x 105 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0.8 inch
$2,132
Fresh News #1 - série Reflects & Transparencies
Anna Levesh
Photography - 60 x 45 cm Photography - 23.6 x 17.7 inch
$841
Mémoire de JingDeZhen
Feng Hatat
Photography - 32 x 48 x 1 cm Photography - 12.6 x 18.9 x 0.4 inch
$673
Mémoire de JingDeZhen
Feng Hatat
Photography - 32 x 48 x 1 cm Photography - 12.6 x 18.9 x 0.4 inch
$673
Une nuit pluvieuse
Feng Hatat
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$673
Héros de l'ombre #12
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$1,571
Héros de l'ombre #11
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #10
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$1,571
Héros de l'ombre #9
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #8
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #7
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #5
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,571
Héros de l'ombre #1
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #2
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Héros de l'ombre #4
Carlos Arriagada
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,402
Queen of the Serengeti
Drew Doggett
Photography - 61 x 91.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 36 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
The old REX
Mourad Cherifi
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.02 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$1,515
Ray of Light
Drew Doggett
Photography - 45.7 x 68.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 18 x 27 x 0.1 inch
$1,650
Marilyn Rare Black Dress Large
Bert Stern
Photography - 102 x 92 cm Photography - 40.2 x 36.2 inch
$31,413
Au coeur de la membrane 3
Sezny Peron
Sculpture - 45 x 45 x 3 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch
$1,683
Exploflora Series No.66
Sumit Mehndiratta
Painting - 86 x 155 x 2 cm Painting - 33.9 x 61 x 0.8 inch
$1,234 $1,049
Exploflora Series No.65
Sumit Mehndiratta
Painting - 110 x 206 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 81.1 x 0.8 inch
$2,244 $1,907
Untitled No. 58
Sumit Mehndiratta
Painting - 111.8 x 203.2 x 5.1 cm Painting - 44 x 80 x 2 inch
$2,244 $1,907
Exploflora Series No.29
Sumit Mehndiratta
Painting - 111.8 x 203.2 x 5.1 cm Painting - 44 x 80 x 2 inch
$1,660 $1,411
Exploflora Series No.28
Sumit Mehndiratta
Painting - 111.8 x 271.8 x 5.1 cm Painting - 44 x 107 x 2 inch
$2,221 $1,888
The Coen Brothers (2001)
Kevin Westenberg
Photography - 61 x 51 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 inch
$2,356
Serge Gainsbourg au Palace
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$505
Un jardin pour Eugène D. #10
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$5,722
Marilyn Glamour 2010
Russell Young
Photography - 92 x 72 x 2 cm Photography - 36.2 x 28.3 x 0.8 inch
$19,072
Dustin Hoffman 3
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$280
Les sandales - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0 inch
$494
Les sandales 2 - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Le barbu - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Le sucre, Père Jean-Joseph - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
L'évier - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
L'Escalier - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Tonsure, la valse - série Une Vie de Moine
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Tonsure, humilité
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Père Pio-Marie
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Les trois carreaux
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
L'Ampoule
Jean-François Talivez
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$494
Symphony of Light
Drew Doggett
Photography - 45.7 x 68.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 18 x 27 x 0.1 inch
$1,650
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!