Abstract Form
The body abstracted to the point where it becomes pure form, line, and texture — recognizable as human but not literal.
Historical Context
The tradition of abstracting the body in photography runs from Edward Weston's peppers-as-bodies to contemporary photographers who use extreme cropping, focus, and angle to reduce the figure to formal elements.
Defining Characteristics
- Extreme cropping
- Form over identity
- Texture as primary subject
- Non-literal representation
- Body as landscape
Reference Artists
- Edward Weston
- Aaron Siskind
- Harry Callahan
- Minor White
Works in this style
Chrysalis
Topography of Rest
Topography in White
Seated Figure in Ink
Reclining Figure in Black Wash
Topography of Rest
Convergence in Shadow
Topography of Warmth