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Photographer 1: Uta Barth

Uta’s work was interesting to me because it contains a very “soft” quality and her style is very different from other photographer’s I have seen. More specifically, the majority of her photographs are blurred or softened so that it almost becomes an abstract image, rather than a clear, in focus image of something in particular. I noticed that she uses elements of light in a lot of her images, either from a window or from being outside, which also adds an interesting element to her work. From my observations, it seems like the majority of the photos are taken indoors, with only a hint of an everyday object within her frame. She is able to take everyday objects such as window curtains or a lamp, and photograph them in a way that they become entirely new and abstract to the viewer’s eye. According to Artnet’s website, Barth is able to achieve this effect by “focusing the camera on an empty background, therby casting a haze over the image in the background,” (“Uta Barth.”). This haze-like quality allows Uta to photograph simple objects or interior walls in a new and abstract way, only giving the viewer a hint as to what she was photographing. The majority of her photographs are in full color however, Barth uses color sparingly throughout her pieces. 

Photographer 2: Gordan Andrews

Gordan’s work initially drew me in because it is full of texture and was very interesting to look at. He typically photograph’s found objects such as graffiti on walls or chipping paint, and he photographs in a way that makes his photographs reminiscent of paintings or abstract art. Almost all of his photographs are done in color, which helps add to the illusion of an artwork. In addition, Andrews chooses to focus in closely to the texture or object that he is photographing, creating a clear focus for his work. This also allows him to get lost of detail into his photographs, creating brilliant textures and a sense that you could reach out and actually feelthese textures for yourself through his photographs. Many of his photographs are taken outside, gathering textures or patterns from nature, or from an exterior wall or stack of bricks for example. Other photographs of his are taken from an interior space, focusing on chipping paint or broken glass. As a whole, I believe that Gordan’s attention to detail and eye for interesting patterns and textures in our environments is what makes his work successful and intriguing for the viewer. 

Photographer 3: Horst P. Horst (otherwise known as Horst Paul Albert Bohrmann) 

Horst’s work was interesting to me because it was something I had never seen before. Horst’s photographs focus in on organic patterns found out in nature, exaggerated with the use of light and photo manipulation. Most of his photographs are constructed into a collage, further demonstrating the pattern found within the object with the use of repetition. In addition, Horst is able to achieve a kaleidoscope or mosaic-like quality to his photographs by flipping and/or rotating a single image into a repeating grid. All of his photographs are done in black and white, which creates a more dramatic pattern found within his images through contrast between the highlights and shadows of his images. Horst seems to focus in on one subject such as one individual plant or leaf rather than showing a group of plants in his photographs. This allows him to capture more detail in his photographs while also focusing in on the patterns found within these organic objects in nature. I also found it interesting that sometimes the patterns are very clear to the viewer while in other instances, it is difficult to guess what he originally photographed out in nature. 

Works Cited

“Uta Barth.” Uta Barth Biography – Uta Barth on Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/uta-barth/biography.