Black and white
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Paris Tour Eiffel
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 24 x 18 x 1 cm Photography - 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.4 inch
$898
Paris tour tour Eiffel 1
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 24 x 18 x 1 cm Photography - 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.4 inch
$898
Champ de maïs
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 30 x 46 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch
$1,458
Paysages forêt II
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 30 x 46 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch
$1,458
Bob Marley, Beacon Theater, New York City 1976
Bob Gruen
Photography - 50.8 x 61 x 5.1 cm Photography - 20 x 24 x 2 inch
$2,500
Clash, Top of the Rock, NYC 1981
Bob Gruen
Photography - 50.8 x 61 x 5.1 cm Photography - 20 x 24 x 2 inch
$2,500
Jackson 5 and Janet Jackson, NYC 1975
Bob Gruen
Photography - 61 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm Photography - 24 x 20 x 2 inch
$2,500
New Year's At Romanoff's
Slim Aarons
Photography - 40.6 x 50.8 x 2.5 cm Photography - 16 x 20 x 1 inch
$5,000
Lucky For Some Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography - 40 x 40 inch
$3,983
NY Lights 1953 Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography - 40 x 40 inch
$3,983
Race Meeting - 1950 Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 30 x 30 inch
$3,377
Luxury Dining - Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography - 40 x 40 inch
$3,983
NY Apartments - 1953 Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 30 x 30 inch
$3,377
Palm Bay Club - 1965 Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Slim Aarons
Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography - 60 x 40 inch
$3,983
Altitude 02
Hengki Koentjoro
Photography - 43 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography - 16.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch
$1,066
Lx014. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx013. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx012. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx011. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx010. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx009. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx003. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx002. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Lx001. Lisbonne Portugal
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
Dans le Ghetto, Venise
Olivier Perrin
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$505
You are a story
Justin Pumfrey
Photography - 76 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 29.9 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$1,739
You Are A Story
Justin Pumfrey
Photography - 61 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 24 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$1,453
September affair
Slim Aarons
Photography - 51 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 20.1 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$2,569
Modelling for Saks Fifth Avenue
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101 x 101 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.8 x 39.8 x 0 inch
$4,039
Eden Hartford
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101 x 101 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.8 x 39.8 x 0 inch
$4,039
Debutante ball
Slim Aarons
Photography - 101 x 76 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.8 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$3,433
Saks fashion show
Slim Aarons
Photography - 76 x 101 x 0.01 cm Photography - 29.9 x 39.8 x 0 inch
$3,433
Last-minute adjustments
Slim Aarons
Photography - 76 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 29.9 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$3,085
Burlington Arcade
Slim Aarons
Photography - 76 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 29.9 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$3,085
Cricketers on the Pitch
Slim Aarons
Photography - 51 x 76 x 0.01 cm Photography - 20.1 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$3,085
Saks Fifth Ave
Slim Aarons
Photography - 51 x 51 x 0.01 cm Photography - 20.1 x 20.1 x 0 inch
$2,569
Urbain brutalisme - Photographie digigraphie
Claire Giraudeau
Photography - 40 x 30 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 inch
$168
Capoeira II. From the Rio de Janeiro series
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
Bottle, Belém do Pará
Guilherme Licurgo
Photography - 88.9 x 58.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 35 x 23 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
The Sorceresses
Kalliope Amorphous
Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20 x 16 x 0.05 inch
$2,200
Le Roi de la baie
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 39 x 59 x 0.3 cm Photography - 15.4 x 23.2 x 0.1 inch
$505
L'équilibre parfait
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 39 x 59 x 0.3 cm Photography - 15.4 x 23.2 x 0.1 inch
$505
Porte de l'Enfer
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 39 x 59 x 0.3 cm Photography - 15.4 x 23.2 x 0.1 inch
$505
Sainte Barbe
Philippe Grincourt
Photography - 39 x 59 x 0.3 cm Photography - 15.4 x 23.2 x 0.1 inch
$505
Untitled, From the series Balance
Salvatore Arnone
Photography - 127 x 88.9 x 0.3 cm Photography - 50 x 35 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
Arcane IX- L’Hermite
Richard Laillier
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch
$1,122
Arcane IV- L’Empereur
Richard Laillier
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch
$1,122
Matrix Index 5 / Silver
Colleen Wolstenholme
Sculpture - 66 x 66 x 15 cm Sculpture - 26 x 26 x 5.9 inch
$1,795
Lend Me Your Ear Daffy And Joyful
Arthur Steel
Photography - 48 x 61 x 1 cm Photography - 18.9 x 24 x 0.4 inch
$2,047
Gaudí 014
Ivanna Alejandra Sanchez Moretti
Photography - 80 x 60 cm Photography - 31.5 x 23.6 inch
$898
Textures, White Sands
Heike Bohnstengel
Photography - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$617
Chaperon rouge illustration 1
Ghislaine Ferreira
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$561
Cheveux d'Encre Émotion
Feng Kaixuan
Photography - 45 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$808
Portrait of a Silverback
Drew Doggett
Photography - 91.4 x 68.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 27 x 0.1 inch
$2,500
Untitled 1
Juan Pablo Castro
Photography - 61 x 91.4 x 0.3 cm Photography - 24 x 36 x 0.1 inch
$3,000
Sans titre 51
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 46 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 18.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$1,234
Sans titre 49
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 46 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 18.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$1,234
Femme masquée 7
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,795
Femme masquée 6
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,795
Femme masquée 5
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,795
Femme masquée 4
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,907
Femme masquée 3
Bruno Fournier
Photography - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,795
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!