![Photography, Untitled 7, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420278_1_grid.jpg)
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![Photography, Untitled 7, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420278_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 6, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420173_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 5, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420170_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 4, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420125_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 3, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420122_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 2, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420116_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled 1, Elise Zakhour](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1420032_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Cap Ferrat Pine, Richard Dunkley](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/853521_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Long Island Wave, Richard Dunkley](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/853494_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Retour de l'école, Jean-Louis Toutain](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/639075_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Plant Study No. 25, Elizabeth Becker](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/527585_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Hanging Leaves No. 7, Elizabeth Becker](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/527567_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Hanging Leaves No. 6, Elizabeth Becker](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/527564_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Hanging Leaves No. 5, Elizabeth Becker](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/527561_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Promenade dans le Jura, Cuba, Cristina García Rodero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/444921_1_grid.jpg)
Promenade dans le Jura, Cuba
Cristina García Rodero
Photography - 80 x 120 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 inch
$17,336
![Photography, Série : María Lionza. La déesse des yeux de l'eau - La main protectrice, Venezuela, Cristina García Rodero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/444900_1_grid.jpg)
Série : María Lionza. La déesse des yeux de l'eau - La main protectrice, Venezuela
Cristina García Rodero
Photography - 80 x 120 x 5 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 2 inch
$17,336
![Photography, Série : María Lionza. La déesse des yeux de l'eau - Lune et soleil pour un amour, Venezuela, Cristina García Rodero](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/444894_1_grid.jpg)
Série : María Lionza. La déesse des yeux de l'eau - Lune et soleil pour un amour, Venezuela
Cristina García Rodero
Photography - 80 x 120 x 5 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 2 inch
$17,336
![Photography, Le passage, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2136828_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Le coq, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2136827_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Poisson, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2136826_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Hatch-0x07, Midge Sinnaeve](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2123385_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Hatch-0x06, Midge Sinnaeve](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2123379_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Jour de marché, Jean-Guy Nakars](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1985100_1_grid.jpg)
Jour de marché
Jean-Guy Nakars
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$390 $352
![Photography, Birds #11, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1789119_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Birds #9, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1789113_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Birds #8, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1789110_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Birds #7, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1789107_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Birds #2, Karine Nicolleau](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1789059_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Paulina, Andreas Sundgren](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1142625_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Jessica, Andreas Sundgren](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1142421_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, The ballerina, Andreas Sundgren](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1142379_1_grid.jpg)
The ballerina
Andreas Sundgren
Photography - 105 x 140 x 0.1 cm Photography - 41.3 x 55.1 x 0 inch
$3,442
![Photography, Philippe Poupon, Maud Bernos](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/104950_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Center Stage, Alexander Benz](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/999627_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Solitaire, Marick](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/973026_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Times Up I, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672813_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Rush II, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672801_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Rush I, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672798_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Marked I, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672774_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Ignore Me Too, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672771_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Ghost I, Michael Grine](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/672561_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Silence, Laura Makabresku](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/641610_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Johnny Hallyday. Sur scène à Milan. 10 Février 1986, Francis Apesteguy](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/259282_1_grid.jpg)
Johnny Hallyday. Sur scène à Milan. 10 Février 1986
Francis Apesteguy
Photography - 42 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$503
![Photography, Johnny Hallyday. Bain de soleil à Saint Tropez . 9 Aout 1977, Francis Apesteguy](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/259252_1_grid.jpg)
Johnny Hallyday. Bain de soleil à Saint Tropez . 9 Aout 1977
Francis Apesteguy
Photography - 42 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$503
![Photography, Johnny Hallyday. Sur scène à Paris. Le 2 Janvier 1991, Francis Apesteguy](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/259231_1_grid.jpg)
Johnny Hallyday. Sur scène à Paris. Le 2 Janvier 1991
Francis Apesteguy
Photography - 42 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$503
![Photography, Untitled (door), Mikael Siirilä](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148393_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Untitled (wall and mirror), Mikael Siirilä](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148389_1_grid.jpg)
Untitled (wall and mirror)
Mikael Siirilä
Photography - 22 x 15 cm Photography - 8.7 x 5.9 inch
$358
![Painting, Colourful bottles, Patricia Restrepo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2092389_1_grid.jpg)
Colourful bottles
Patricia Restrepo
Painting - 60.96 x 45.72 x 3 cm Painting - 24 x 18 x 1.2 inch
$4,026
![Photography, Frozen trees 24, Imanol Marrodán](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1781091_1_grid.jpg)
Frozen trees 24
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 20 x 26 x 0.1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 10.2 x 0 inch
$391
![Photography, Frozen trees 4, Imanol Marrodán](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1780902_1_grid.jpg)
Frozen trees 4
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 20 x 26 x 0.1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 10.2 x 0 inch
$391
![Photography, Frozen trees 13b, Imanol Marrodán](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1780899_1_grid.jpg)
Frozen trees 13b
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 20 x 29 x 0.1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.4 x 0 inch
$414
![Photography, Frozen trees 22b, Imanol Marrodán](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1780896_1_grid.jpg)
Frozen trees 22b
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 20 x 34.7 x 0.1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 13.7 x 0 inch
$447
![Photography, Untitled (hand and face), Mikael Siirilä](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1440192_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Going In Circles, Alexander Benz](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1087893_1_grid.jpg)
Going In Circles
Alexander Benz
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$514
![Photography, Sleeping Boy, Jean-Pierre Roux](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/46202_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Village 06, Konstantin Kornakov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/443178_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Ki no kioku (Memory of tree), ise-jingu, Ise city, Mie prefecture, 2023-11, n°1, Teddy Peix](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2176210_1_grid.jpg)
Ki no kioku (Memory of tree), ise-jingu, Ise city, Mie prefecture, 2023-11, n°1
Teddy Peix
Photography - 17 x 20 x 0.01 cm Photography - 6.7 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$302
![Photography, Hollywood Diet, Brendan North](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2176047_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, BWM-S2, Giuliano Bekor](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2173476_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Subway Surfer, Brendan North](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2159714_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Drugs, Norman Reedus](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2140488_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Well Heeled, Arthur Steel](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2116047_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 20, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530951_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 19, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530948_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 18, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530945_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 17, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530942_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 16, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530939_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 15, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530936_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 14, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530930_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 13, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530927_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 12, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530864_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 11, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1530855_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 10, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1519947_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 9, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1519935_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 8, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1519923_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 7, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1519857_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 5, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1516908_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 4, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1516902_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 3, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1516887_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 2, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1516884_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Flower 1, Dzovig Arnelian](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1516872_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Glaciation magique, Jean-Marc Stoeffler](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1272276_1_grid.jpg)
Glaciation magique
Jean-Marc Stoeffler
Photography - 37 x 47 x 1 cm Photography - 14.6 x 18.5 x 0.4 inch
$280
![Photography, Autoportrait, Pavlo Mazai](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1255428_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Autoportrait, Pavlo Mazai](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1255404_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Défense d'entrer, Marick](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1185723_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Love is a rock, Benoit Ruff](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/792846_1_grid.jpg)
Love is a rock
Benoit Ruff
Photography - 42 x 29.7 x 0.2 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.1 inch
$391
![Print, BIOS-PG-N-XVII, Akané Kirimura](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/74377_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Without title, Jenny Owens](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/62504_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, La série : Orogenèse - Anonymous (Gibraltar 01006), Joan Fontcuberta](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/465592_1_grid.jpg)
La série : Orogenèse - Anonymous (Gibraltar 01006)
Joan Fontcuberta
Photography - 75 x 100 cm Photography - 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$11,185
![Photography, La série : Orogenèse - Atget, Joan Fontcuberta](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/465577_1_grid.jpg)
La série : Orogenèse - Atget
Joan Fontcuberta
Photography - 75 x 100 cm Photography - 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$11,185
![Photography, La série : Orogenèse - Man Ray / Duchamp, Joan Fontcuberta](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/465568_1_grid.jpg)
La série : Orogenèse - Man Ray / Duchamp
Joan Fontcuberta
Photography - 75 x 100 cm Photography - 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$11,185
![Photography, Jenny Owens Birds Series, Jenny Owens](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/417043_1_grid.jpg)
Jenny Owens Birds Series
Jenny Owens
Photography - 15 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 5.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$447
![Print, Ocean Rage, Rachel Jeraffi](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2173892_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Prayer, Rachel Jeraffi](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2173886_1_grid.jpg)
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!