Experimental Photography 1945 - 1950s @ L Parker Stephenson Photographs

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Experimental Photography 1945 – 1950s @ L Parker Stephenson Photographs

September 20th, 2015 by fstop

Experimental Photography 1945 – 1950s
September 18 – November 28, 2015

During the period when a new consumerist culture, nurtured by unparalleled economic expansion, coexisted with Cold War anxieties, many American and European artists turned away from realism to focus inwardly. In their quests, the photographers among them took as source material the avant-garde work of their predecessors in the 1920s and 30s and further challenged, deconstructed and otherwise experimented with the unique nature of the medium. Through the exploration of light, paper, film, contrast and chemistry they played with forms to create surreal imagery, emphasize movement and speed, or make abstractions.

This expression of the psychological through the physical or gestural was echoed throughout many arts of the period (e.g. Abstract Expressionism) as was the deconstruction and questioning of the conventions of the media themselves (e.g. Beat poetry, free jazz). With respect to the latter, comparisons can inevitably be made with the current generation of artists experimenting with technology to create photo-based work.

L Parker Stephenson Photographs
764 Madison Avenue between 65th and 66th streets,

Location: New York, New York City, United States Type:

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