Conceptual photography
Encyclopedia
Conceptual photography as a part of conceptual art
is a photography
genre in which the artist makes a photograph
of a concept
or idea
. Usually the conception of the idea precedes the realization of the photography. This kind of photography often involves use of computer editing to achieve the desired effects, but many artists work without the computer. They "put in place" the things and the beings that will be the subject of the final photograph, and the placement of those things and beings "build" the concept, the idea, and the final outcome, as for example the famous Judy Dater
's conceptual photograph "Imogen and Twinka"
, Man Ray
with his photographic technique of solarization
, Irving Penn
, Cindy Sherman
with her critical self-portraits, Herb Ritts
with his "new Greek sculpture", and Andreas Gursky
and his "enormous photographs". All of them use different kinds of setting of the objects and beings in their own photo-artworks with the intention of showing philosophical ideas or feelings.
was one of the pioneers of conceptual photography. His famous work "Avenue des Gobelins" shows three mannequins in a window-shop; one of which is seen to be alive upon close inspection. Inside the shop between the two mannequins there is a man that wears the same clothes as the mannequins, has the same rigid posture. This can be interpreted as an allegory
of modern civilization, representing the uniformity imposed on individuals by clothing.
"Le Violon d'Ingres" is a well known photo-artwork by Man Ray
. It depicts a female nude with two f-holes of a violin on her back. The photo is possibly conveying the beauty of the human form. Man Ray was also the master of solarization
. One of the most prominent of Man Ray's solarization works is "Julie et Margaret". The effect of the solarization turns the body of two women into two black contours, possible conveying the idea of depersonalization
of the individual in modern society.
Cindy Sherman
became famous with her conceptual portraits, most of which are self-portraits intended to look like movie stills. Sherman's series of photographs, "Untitled Film Stills" is a line of self-portraits in which Cindy "plays" different roles, depicting the fantasy of popular culture.
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
is a photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
genre in which the artist makes a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of a concept
Concept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
or idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
. Usually the conception of the idea precedes the realization of the photography. This kind of photography often involves use of computer editing to achieve the desired effects, but many artists work without the computer. They "put in place" the things and the beings that will be the subject of the final photograph, and the placement of those things and beings "build" the concept, the idea, and the final outcome, as for example the famous Judy Dater
Judy Dater
Judy Dater is an American photographer and feminist. She is perhaps best known for her 1974 photograph, Imogen and Twinka, featuring an elderly Imogen Cunningham, one of America's first women photographers, encountering a nymph in the woods of Yosemite. The nymph is the model Twinka Thiebaud.Dater...
's conceptual photograph "Imogen and Twinka"
Artists
Some famous conceptual artists include Eugène AtgetEugène Atget
Eugène Atget was a French photographer noted for his photographs documenting the architecture and street scenes of Paris....
, Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
with his photographic technique of solarization
Solarization
Solarization refers to a phenomenon in physics where a material undergoes a temporary change in color after being subjected to high energy electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet light or X-rays. Clear glass and many plastics will turn amber, green or other colors when subjected to...
, Irving Penn
Irving Penn
Irving Penn was an American photographer known for his portraiture and fashion photography.-Early career:Irving Penn studied under Alexey Brodovitch at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art from which he was graduated in 1938. Penn's drawings were published by Harper's Bazaar and he...
, Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and film director, best known for her conceptual portraits. Sherman currently lives and works in New York City. In 1995, she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She is represented by Sprüth Magers Berlin London in and Metro Pictures gallery in...
with her critical self-portraits, Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
with his "new Greek sculpture", and Andreas Gursky
Andreas Gursky
Andreas Gursky is a German visual artist known for his enormous architecture and landscape color photographs, often employing a high point of view...
and his "enormous photographs". All of them use different kinds of setting of the objects and beings in their own photo-artworks with the intention of showing philosophical ideas or feelings.
The Concept
Eugène AtgetEugène Atget
Eugène Atget was a French photographer noted for his photographs documenting the architecture and street scenes of Paris....
was one of the pioneers of conceptual photography. His famous work "Avenue des Gobelins" shows three mannequins in a window-shop; one of which is seen to be alive upon close inspection. Inside the shop between the two mannequins there is a man that wears the same clothes as the mannequins, has the same rigid posture. This can be interpreted as an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of modern civilization, representing the uniformity imposed on individuals by clothing.
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
. It depicts a female nude with two f-holes of a violin on her back. The photo is possibly conveying the beauty of the human form. Man Ray was also the master of solarization
Solarization
Solarization refers to a phenomenon in physics where a material undergoes a temporary change in color after being subjected to high energy electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet light or X-rays. Clear glass and many plastics will turn amber, green or other colors when subjected to...
. One of the most prominent of Man Ray's solarization works is "Julie et Margaret". The effect of the solarization turns the body of two women into two black contours, possible conveying the idea of depersonalization
Depersonalization
Depersonalization is an anomaly of the mechanism by which an individual has self-awareness. It is a feeling of watching oneself act, while having no control over a situation. Sufferers feel they have changed, and the world has become less real, vague, dreamlike, or lacking in significance...
of the individual in modern society.
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and film director, best known for her conceptual portraits. Sherman currently lives and works in New York City. In 1995, she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She is represented by Sprüth Magers Berlin London in and Metro Pictures gallery in...
became famous with her conceptual portraits, most of which are self-portraits intended to look like movie stills. Sherman's series of photographs, "Untitled Film Stills" is a line of self-portraits in which Cindy "plays" different roles, depicting the fantasy of popular culture.
External links
- DPShots.com Conceptual Photography Showcase
- www.abduzeedo.com Conceptual Photography of Berlin
- www.psdeluxe.com Other kinds of conceptual photography