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21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

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Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
Monarch Black - Contemporary British Art, Animal Photography, Tim Flach
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order. Lead times are expected between 15-20 days. 'Monarch Black' is a stunning C-Type print by contemporary British photographe...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Maa Laxmi
Located in New York, NY
Digital C-print Signed and numbered on label, verso 10 x 8 inches (Edition of 200) This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Please note that prices increase a...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Rita Hayworth, The Castelloland Series. Digital Collage Color Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Rita Hayworth by Paloma Castello Digital photographs on glossy pearlescent paper 47.2 x 33 inches Edition 1 of 3 + 1AP Unframed 2018 _______________________ Paloma Castello born 1988...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Eternal & Ethereal, Portrait. Limited edition fashion color photograph.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Dreams and fantasies from the past and present are portrayed by Léa Bon’s subjects, which she uses as her own personal dolls. Léa Bon work is a profound explo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Snoop Dogg by Jake Chessum, framed 9x12" print
Located in Austin, TX
Framed, 9x12" signed open edition print of Snoop Dogg by Jake Chessum Jake recalls the session: “I photographed Snoop at Milk studios in LA. Everybody on the shoot was so excited to...
Category

Photorealist 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Giclée

Doves, Vase - Tim Flach, Contemporary British Photography, Animal Art, Birds
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order. Lead times are expected between 15-20 days. 'Doves, Vase' is a stunning C-Type print by contemporary British photographer ...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Markus Klinko - Meditation (Color), Photography 2001, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
"Markus Klinko is an award-winning, international fashion/celebrity photographer and director, who has worked with many of today's most iconic stars of film, music, and fashion. Kli...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital, Archival Pigment

Blue Star - Contemporary British Art, Animal Photography, Tim Flach, Ocean
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order. Lead times are expected between 15-20 days. 'Blue Star' is a stunning C-Type print by contemporary British photographer Ti...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Pedro and Mariette, From Ibiza Series, Diptych
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Untitled 22, Paris. From the series La Notte. Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sükan created the ‘La Notte’ series as he was working for international magazines documenting the fashion shows and backstage as well as the social times of the fashion world in Pari...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Untitled 27 Paris, From the series La Notte. Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sükan created the ‘La Notte’ series as he was working for international magazines documenting the fashion shows and backstage as well as the social times of the fashion world in Pari...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

Untitled 17 Paris, From the series La Notte, Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sükan created the ‘La Notte’ series as he was working for international magazines documenting the fashion shows and backstage as well as the social times of the fashion world in Pari...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Archival Pigment

Markus Klinko - Kim Kardashian, In Coffin, Photography 2010, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
"Markus Klinko is an award-winning, international fashion/celebrity photographer and director, who has worked with many of today's most iconic stars of film, music, and fashion. Kli...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital, Archival Pigment

All the others in me NYC. Performance photography color portrait
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The body, in opposition to this language system and ironically living it, speaks through organs, plays with images, sounds, smells, textures, mixtures, everything reacts, absorbs and...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Occult Games #4. Portrait. Limited edition fashion color photograph.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Dreams and fantasies from the past and present are portrayed by Léa Bon’s subjects, which she uses as her own personal dolls. Léa Bon work is a profound exploration of dreams and fa...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

Origins. Limited Edition Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Black and White Photograph by Ricky Cohete Archival Pigment print Medium Edition of 2/10 + 1AP Blanco: For this black and white photography series, he used elements such as water ...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Pink Gloves, Goodwood, Chichester - Feminine fashion, color photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
This stylish artwork, 'Pink Gloves' taken at the glamorous retro event Goodwood Revival, perfectly captures feminine sophistication with a vintage vibe. This artwork featured in Rich...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Wendy Resting, Las Vegas - Contemporary American color photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
Part of Richard Heeps 'Man's Ruin' Series, this sequence of artworks 'Wendy Flamin' Eyeball', 'Wendy Resting' & 'Oldsmobile and Sinful Barbie's' were shot in Las Vegas. This artwork...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Lilac Gloves, Goodwood, Chichester - Feminine fashion, color photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
This stylish artwork, 'Lilac Gloves' taken at the glamorous retro event Goodwood Revival, perfectly captures feminine sophistication with a vintage vibe. This artwork featured in Ric...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

El Mensaje. Figurative Limited Edition Color Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
El Mensaje Color Archival Pigment print Large 60" x 40" Ed of 6 + 2AP Unframed Exploring color in the darkness, inspired by the Italian and Dutch renaissance. He brings hints of the...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dream in Color Series, Red River, Bisbee, Arizona - American Color Photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
Richard Heeps' Dream in Colour Series beautifully captures 1950's chic, the nostalgic vibe and warm colours paired with a movie still from 'Red River', make it incredibly seductive. ...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Man with Crown, One. Black and White Portrait. Limited Edition Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Man with Crown One Black and White Archival Pigment print Large 60"x40" Ed of 6 + 2AP The artist uses a vivid contrast of color to add an extra dimension in the movement and shadows...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Black and White

Man with Crown. Two, Black and & White Portrait Limited Edition Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Man with Crown Two Black and White Archival Pigment print Large 60"x40" Ed of 6 + 2AP The artist uses a vivid contrast of color to add an extra dimension in the movement and shadows...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Black and White

Amy Winehouse 12x16" print
Located in Austin, TX
Signed limited edition 12x16" print of Amy Winehouse taken in London by Jake Chessum in 2004. Limited edition number 7/20 Jake recalls the session: “I travelled from NYC to London in February 2004 to do a press shoot with Amy Winehouse. It was a classic February day: cold, wet, foggy and dark by about 4pm. We met at her flat and went to a few of her local haunts: a cafe, a launderette, Primrose Hill. The record company were very hands off and didn’t pressure us to do any particular set ups. We just went with the flow. She was really entertaining: funny, smart and cooly indiscreet. I am a huge jazz fan and I remember we talked about music, London and New York.” Jake Chessum offers prints in...
Category

Photorealist 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Giclée

Golden Giant III, animal, wildlife, color photography, elephant
Located in München, BY
Edition 5 More sizes on request. It was in the evening, not far from the reintegration unit in Tsavo National Park. I had just taken my last pictures of the day and the orphans were...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Self Portrait Untitled XI. La Costilla Roja Series. Limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This work is the result of an artistic residence outside his 'study'.The artist worked on a different ecosystem, a house of vernacular architecture built in 1913 in the department of...
Category

Conceptual 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Light my Fire
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
'Light my Fire’, 2017, 20 x 20 cm, Edition 1/10, Digital C-Print based on a Polaroid, not mounted. Numbered and signed on the back by the artist. Artist...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print, Color, Polaroid

Mr Donut From Iconic Series, Large Size
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The “Iconic” series was presented as part of the exhibition “Walk of Inspiration” showed in Stockholm in 2016. These vibrant unique color images are an homage to the “kitsch pop surr...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Color

Marbella From Iconic Series, Large Size
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The “Iconic” series was presented as part of the exhibition “Walk of Inspiration” showed in Stockholm in 2016. These vibrant unique color images are an homage to the “kitsch pop surr...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Coldplay - signed Limited Edition Oversize print
Located in London, GB
Coldplay - signed Limited Edition Oversize print COLDPLAY VIDEO BLUE APRIL 23 2005 LOS ANGELES BAND VIDEO STILLS Exquisite print of the superband Coldplay during a video shoot unframed signed and numbered by the artist. limited to 10 only this size. About the artist : Kevin Westenberg is famed - for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musicians, artists and movie stars for over 25 years. His technique of lighting, colour and composition has helped to produce his own unique visual style. Shortly after receiving an Architecture degree he moved to London where he’s been based since 1983. Westenberg is self-taught and learned his trade working for the UK inkies “New Musical Express” and “Melody Maker” mainly throughout the late 80’s and 90’s documenting amongst others all the UK ‘Britpop’ bands. The breakthrough came in 1993-1994 with the release of Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales and Mary J Blige’s Share My World. These two album covers changed the perception of the work worldwide and thus began a run of 20 years of commissions and choice opportunities. For the last 25 years, his musical heritage includes portraits of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Coldplay, White Stripes, Jane...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Noemie Lenoir
Located in Austin, TX
From a stunning collection of contemporary nudes from celebrated photographer, Markus Klinko, featuring amongst others, Dita Von Teese, Stoya and Aubrey O’Day This print is availabl...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Gonzalo From Ibiza Series, Medium Size
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Black and White

Burlesque Series, Miranda, The Whoopee Club, London, 2003
Located in Cambridge, GB
Richard Heeps became well-known for his Burlesque Photography after he spent 2003 capturing performances in Britain & America. He spent a lot on time with his subjects on a number of...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Lady Gaga Hello Kitty by Markus Klinko
Located in Austin, TX
Museum quality fine art print of Lady Gaga by photographer Markus Klinko. Shot in 2009 in London for 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty. This print is available in the following sizes,...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

David Lynch - Signed Limited Edition Oversized Print
Located in London, GB
David Lynch - Signed Limited Edition Oversized Print David Lynch, writer and director of Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks and others Photographe...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Péone, Alpes Maritimes, 2002
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Pentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but he does not put man and the environm...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled 13, From the series La Notte. Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sükan created the ‘La Notte’ series as he was working for international magazines documenting the fashion shows and backstage as well as the social times of the fashion world in Pari...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Archival Pigment

Belle
Located in Sante Fe, NM
In SHE TELLS ALL, Kaur engages questions of identity performance by exploring an ever-present and wildly diverse American identity: the modern American witch. Witches are contemporar...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Untitled 2 Paris, From the series La Notte. Black and White Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sükan created the ‘La Notte’ series as he was working for international magazines documenting the fashion shows and backstage as well as the social times of the fashion world in Pari...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper

Bat For Lashes Heart - Signed Limited Edition Oversize Print
Located in London, GB
Bat For Lashes (Natasha Khan) in Brighton, January 2009 MOJO Magazine feature Photo by Kevin Westenburg Unframed Signed and numbered by the artist. Edition of 3 only at this size OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE : Size 1. 16 x 20" Signed and numbered edition of 25. cost $ 2,500 Size 2. 20 x 24" Signed and numbered edition of 25. cost $ 2,950 Size 3. 24 x 30" Signed and numbered edition of 25. cost $ 3,375 Size 4. 30 x 40" Signed and numbered edition of 10 (+2 a/p). cost $ 5,605 Size 5. 40 x 60" Signed and numbered edition of 3 (1 a/p). cost $ 18,500 About the artist: Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musicians, artists and movie stars for over 25 years. His technique of lighting, colour and composition has helped to produce his own unique visual style. Shortly after receiving an Architecture degree he moved to London where he’s been based since 1983. Westenberg is self-taught and learned his trade working for the UK inkies “New Musical Express” and “Melody Maker” mainly throughout the late 80’s and 90’s documenting amongst others all the UK ‘Britpop’ bands. The breakthrough came in 1993-1994 with the release of Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales and Mary J Blige’s Share My World. These two album covers changed the perception of the work worldwide and thus began a run of 20 years of commissions and choice opportunities. For the last 25 years, his musical heritage includes portraits of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Coldplay, White Stripes, Jane's Addiction, Sting, Bjork, Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, Luther Vandross, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Roses, The Pixies, Paul Weller, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Stipe, U2, Mary J. Blige, R.E.M., Black Sabbath, Massive Attack, BB King, The Rolling Stones, PJ Harvey, Marilyn Manson, Pete Doherty, Oasis, Soundgarden, Jake Bugg, and Bon Jovi among many others. Also included are 100’s of albums, singles, magazine & book covers from around the world. He’s also been chosen as official photographer for the LIVE 8 Hyde Park event in 2005 and for Led Zeppelin reunion concert at the 02 Arena, London. The work & interest also include a wide range of artists portraits beyond the music world. David Lynch, Paul Auster, The Coen Brothers, Rupert Friend, Sir Tom Stoppard, Orla Kiely...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Pigment

Underworld Love, Limited edition fashion color photograph.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Dreams and fantasies from the past and present are portrayed by Léa Bon’s subjects, which she uses as her own personal dolls. Léa Bon work is a profound exploration of dreams and fa...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

"Petit Tutu (profil)" by Cécile Plaisance, 27 x 22 in, 2024
Located in Paris, France
Drawing her inspiration from the grand masters of photography – Avedon, Lindbergh, Newton, or Toscani, amongst others – Cécile Plaisance uses lenticular printing to allow the viewer ...
Category

Feminist 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Lenticular

Yellow Bark, #2259. Homage to Horst P. Horst collage color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Yellow Bark, #2259 by Natasha Zupan Enlarged photographic print of the original photo collage by the artist Image size: 60 in. H x 53.5 in. W Edition of 5 Unframed 2018 _____________...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Intimate Portrait of an Iconic White Camargue Horse, France, Vertical, Ethereal
Located in US
"Hush" The delicate nature of this image encompasses the otherworldly appeal of the Camargue horses in this best-selling black and white photograph. The print series Band of Rebel...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Abstract Dancers, White 2, 2019 by Giles Revell - Photography, Ballet, Print
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order and lead times are between 15-20 days. A stunning and dynamic Archival Pigment Print by contemporary British photographer Giles Revell...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

Bioluminic II, Portrait. Limited edition fashion color photograph.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Dreams and fantasies from the past and present are portrayed by Léa Bon’s subjects, which she uses as her own personal dolls. Léa Bon work is a profound exploration of dreams and fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Portrait of a White Horse, Black and White Photography, Ethereal, Fashion
Located in US
"Ethere" This best-selling, award-winning image is an intimate portrait of an iconic all-white horse native to the Camargue region in the South of France. The award-winning print ...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Abstract Dancers, Red 4, 2019 by Giles Revell - Photography, Print, Contemporary
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order and lead times are between 15-20 days. A stunning and dynamic Archival Pigment Print by contemporary British photographer Giles Revell...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

Jeff Buckley - Oversize Signed Limited Edition Print
Located in London, GB
Jeff Buckley - Oversize Signed Limited Edition Print American guitarist and songwriter Jeff Buckley (1966-1997), photographed during press for his first ...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

The Way of the West No. 12
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes free shipping for unframed prints in the continental US and a 14-day return policy. Please inquire for framing options. We offer framing from our New York and Los Angeles gallery...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment

Tea For Two, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Tea For Two, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered My photographic series Tales of Heroines is a collection of stories about the lives of young women tol...
Category

Surrealist 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Muse, Portrait Intervened by the artists. Nothing Stays Still series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Series titled "Nothing Stays Still", where they keep questioning the fashion photography industry by creating a new visual identity of their images moving them away from their origin...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Acrylic, Black and White, Archival Pigment

Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Pentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but he does not put man and the environm...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled III. Self Portrait. Limited Edition Color Nude Photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This work is the result of an artistic residence outside his 'study'.The artist worked on a different ecosystem, a house of vernacular architecture built in 1913 in the department of...
Category

Conceptual 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Kate Moss - Limited Edition Mick Rock Estate Print
Located in London, GB
Kate Moss - Limited Edition Mick Rock Estate Print Kate Moss in a Lou Reed vest, 2002 (photo Mick Rock). All prints are numbered by the Estate. Edition s...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Ameraucana
Located in Sante Fe, NM
All photographs are platinum/palladium prints. These metals are hand coated on 100% rag cotton water color paper with natural deckled edges and contact printed. Since platinum, like ...
Category

Contemporary 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Platinum

Untitled (from ROBOTNICS Series)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Christian Rothmann ROBOTNICS Series C-Print 2019 Edition S (Edition of 10) 12 x 8.3 inches (30.5 x 21 cm) Signed, dated and numbered verso Other Edition Sizes available: - Edition M (Edition of 6) 35.4 x 23.6 inches (90 x 60 cm) - Edition L (Edition of 6) 47.2 x 31.5 inches (120 x 80 cm) - Edition XL (Edition of 3) 88.8 x 58.8 inches (225 x 150 cm) PUR - Price Upon Request -------------- Since 1979 Christian Rothmann had more than 40 solo and 80 group exhibitions worldwide. Christian Rothmann had guest lectures, residencies, art fairs and biennials in Europe, Japan, USA, Australia and Korea. Christian Rothmann (born 1954 in Kędzierzyn, Poland ) is a painter, photographer, and graphic artist.⁠ ⁠ In 1976 he first studied at the “Hochschule für Gestaltung” in Offenbach, Germany and moved to Berlin in 1977, where he graduated in 1983 at the “Hochschule der Künste”. From 1983 to 1995 he taught at the university as a lecturer and as an artist with a focus on screenprinting and American art history. To date, a versatile body of work has been created, which includes not only paintings but also long-standing photo projects, videos, and public art.⁠ ⁠ Guest lectures, teaching assignments, scholarships and exhibitions regularly lead Rothmann to travel home and abroad.⁠ ------------------------ Rothmann's Robots These creatures date back to another era, and they connect the past and the future. They were found by Christian Rothmann, a Berlin artist, collector and traveler through time and the world: In shops in Germany and Japan, Israel and America, his keen eye picks out objects cast aside by previous generations, but which lend themselves to his own work. In a similar way, he came across a stash of historic toy robots of varied provenance collected by a Berlin gallery owner many years ago. Most of them were screwed and riveted together in the 1960s and 70s by Metal House, a Japanese company that still exists today. In systematically photographing these humanoids made of tin - and later plastic - Rothmann is paraphrasing the idea of appropriation art. Unknown names designed and made the toys, which some five decades on, Rothmann depicts and emblematizes in his extensive photo sequence. In their photographs of Selim Varol's vast toy collection, his German colleagues Daniel and Geo Fuchs captured both the stereotypical and individual in plastic figures that imitate superheroes which were and still are generally manufactured somewhere in Asia. Christian Rothmann looks his robots deep in their artificially stylized, painted or corrugated eyes - or more aptly, their eye slits - and although each has a certain degree of individuality, the little figures remain unknown to us; they project nothing and are not alter egos. Rothmann trains his lens on their faces and expressions, and thus, his portraits are born. Up extremely close, dust, dents, and rust become visible. In other words, what we see is time-traces of time that has passed since the figures were made, or during their period in a Berlin attic, and - considering that he robots date back to Rothmann's childhood - time lived by the photographer and recipients of his pictures. But unlike dolls, these mechanical robots bear no reference to the ideal of beauty at the time of their manufacture, and their features are in no way modeled on a concrete child's face. In this art project the robots appear as figures without a context, photographed face-on, cropped in front of a neutral background and reduced to their qualities of form. But beyond the reproduction and documentation a game with surfaces is going on; our view lingers on the outer skin of the object, or on the layer over it. The inside - which can be found beneath - is to an extent metaphysical, occurring inside the observer's mind. Only rarely is there anything to see behind the robot's helmet. When an occasional human face does peer out, it turns the figure into a robot-like protective casing for an astronaut of the future. If we really stop and think about modern toys, let's say those produced from the mid 20th century, when Disney and Marvel films were already stimulating a massive appetite for merchandising, the question must be: do such fantasy and hybrid creatures belong, does something like artificial intelligence already belong to the broader community of humans and animals? It is already a decade or two since the wave of Tamagotchis washed in from Japan, moved children to feed and entertain their newly born electronic chicks in the way they would a real pet, or to run the risk of seeing them die. It was a new form of artificial life, but the relationship between people and machines becomes problematic when the machines or humanoid robots have excellent fine motor skills and artificial intelligence and sensitivity on a par with, or even greater than that of humans. Luckily we have not reached that point yet, even if Hollywood adaptations would have us believe we are not far away. Rothmann's robots are initially sweet toys, and each toy is known to have a different effect on children and adults. They are conceived by (adult) designers as a means of translating or retelling history or reality through miniature animals, knights, and soldiers. In the case of monsters, mythical creatures, and robots, it is more about creating visions of the future and parallel worlds. Certainly, since the success of fantasy books and films such as Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, we see the potential for vast enthusiasm for such parallel worlds. Successful computer and online games such as World of Warcraft, or the creation of avatars are also interesting worldwide phenomena of virtual realities that are not only relevant for children and teens. So when a middle-aged Berlin photographic artist (like Christian Rothmann) chooses to study 120 toy robots with great difference in form, it represents a journey back to his own childhood - even if at the time, he played with a steam engine rather than a robot. Once batteries had been inserted, some of the largely male or gender-neutral robots, could flash, shoot, turn around and even do more complicated things. Some can even still do it today - albeit clumsily. This, of course, can only be seen on film, but the artist intends to document that as well; to feature the robots in filmic works of art. The positioning of the figures in the studio is the same as the tableau of pictures in the exhibition room. In this way, one could say Rothmann deploys one robot after the other. This systematic approach enables a comparative view; the extreme enlargement of what are actually small and manageable figures is like the macro vision of insects whose fascinating, sometimes monster-like appearance only becomes visible when they are blown up a hundredfold. The same thing goes for the robots; in miniature form, they seem harmless and cute, but if they were larger than humans and made noises to match, they would seem more threatening. Some of the tin figures...
Category

Modern 21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Markus Klinko - Paris Hilton, That's Hot (Black & White), 2000, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
"Markus Klinko is an award-winning, international fashion/celebrity photographer and director, who has worked with many of today's most iconic stars of film, music, and fashion. Kli...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital, Archival Pigment

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This Week-Old Calf Named Bug Is One of Randal Ford’s Most Adorable Models

In a recent collection of animal portraits, he brings fashion photography to the farm.

11 of Annie Leibovitz’s Most Talked-About Photographs

See why the famed photographer's celebrity portraits have graced magazine covers and become headline grabbers in their own right for five decades and counting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Life in Photos

She was one of the most photographed women in history, but the world’s longest-reigning queen remained something of a mystery throughout her decades on the throne.

Photographer to Know: William Klein

The noted lensman brought a bold sense of irony to fashion photography in the 1950s and '60s, transforming the industry. But his work in street photography, documentary filmmaking and abstract art is just as striking.

Chris Levine’s Portrait of a Shut-Eyed Queen Elizabeth Sparkles with Crystals

Celebrate the queen's Platinum Jubilee with a glittering, Pop-art version of the most famous and thought-provoking photo of Her Royal Majesty.

In Milan, La DoubleJ Celebrates Women of Design through Portraiture

During Salone del Mobile, Robyn Lea photographed some of the most powerful creative forces in the European design industry, decked out in J.J. Martin’s maximal fashion line.

Lori Grinker’s Artful Photographs of a Young Mike Tyson Are a Knockout!

The New York photographer tells us how an encounter with the then-13-year-old boxer led to a decade-long project that saw them both go pro.

John Dolan’s Photographs Capture the Art and Soul of a Wedding Day

In a new book compiling 30 years' worth of images, the photographer reveals that it's the in-between moments that make a wedding special.

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