Session 5 (Oct 8 - 14): The Medium, Part II – Abstraction as Simplification

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Session 5 will expand will expand on the practical lessons introduced in Session 4, and focus on the art of abstraction as, somewhat paradoxically, a concrete method of simplifying photographs. We will discuss specific ways of creating abstractions, including creating so-called “minimalist” images, the selective use of neutral density filters, and macro photography.  In a sense, this whole session will be devoted to exploring how abstraction may be used to pay homage to Minor White’s admonition to photograph things for “what else they are.”

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Essay (18 pages, pdf/2.9 mb)

Exercises (extract from main essay; 2 pages, pdf/155 kb)

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Links

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Synesthscapes (color abstracts):
Portfolio I - Warmth (Lenswork magazine)
Portfolio II - Coolness (Lenswork magazine)
Interview (with Brooks Jensen, editor, Lenswork magazine)
 

Micro Worlds (B&W abstracts):
Portfolio (Lenswork magazine, Issue 76)
Interview with Brooks Jensen
 

Examples of abstract photography:
Artsy.Net
Art Photo Index
Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibit
 

Michael Kenna (minimalism)
Brett Weston (abstracts)
 

Wassily Kandinsky's Concerning the Spiritual in Art

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Books / references on abstract photography and art:

 

The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography

Encountering the Spiritual in Contemporary Art

The Spiritual Dynamic in Modern Art
The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985
The Spiritual in Twentieth-Century Art