James Welling Abstract Photography

American, b. 1951

James Welling (b. 1951 in Hartford, Connecticut) is a postmodern artist. He earned both a BFA and an MFA at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California, where he studied with, among others, Dan Graham. He emerged in the 1970s as a postconceptual artist for whom photographic norms and the representational field itself were and remain contested and problematized. Welling lives and works in Los Angeles. During his career, Welling has experimented with different photographic mediums, including Polaroids, gelatin silver prints, photograms, and digital prints. Having studied under John Baldessari at CalArts and exhibited with Sherrie Levine at Metro Pictures, Welling began his career in the so-called Pictures Generation. His self-education in photography began in 1976 with the series Los Angeles Architecture & Portraits. In 1977 his second series, Diary/Landscape, matched the handwriting of his great-grandparents' letters with winter landscapes in Connecticut. Another well-known 2009 series by Welling is a meditation over a period of three years on Philip Johnson’s Glass House, shot in situ using colored filters. By contrast, his images of the Maison de Verre, are digitally manipulated. The rooms are lightened and brightened so that in some cases they glow unnaturally like a magazine spread. Yet another series consists of rectangles of pure color, made in the darkroom using colored filters. For his photogram series Torsos (2005–08), Welling cut screening, of the same type used for windows, to follow bodily contours and placed them on chromogenic paper before exposing them. Welling was the photographer of the cover art for Sonic Youth's 1985 album Bad Moon Rising. He collaborated with U.S. poet Susan Howe, providing six black-and-white photograms to accompany the text of That This, published in 2010. In 2009 he designed a hand-knotted rug for BravinLee programs. For the spring collection of Italian fashion label Brioni, Welling collaborated with the brand's creative director Brendan Mullane on a triple exposed floral print that was showered over zip front collared jackets, short sleeved silk shirts and Prince of Wales check suits. In 2014, the New York Times considered Welling one of today’s most influential photographers. That year, the artist was named one of the recipients of the Infinity Award given by the International Center of Photography, New York.

Artist: James Welling

James WellingTorso 1-18, Abstract Chromogenic Photogram by James Welling, 2005-2008

Price Upon Request

Torso 1-18, Abstract Chromogenic Photogram by James Welling

By James Welling

Located in New York, NY

Torso 1-18 is an Abstract Chromogenic Photogram by James Welling. Torso 1-18, 2005-2008 Signed, dated, and numbered, verso Chromogenic print (Edition of 5) 52.625 x 40.5 inches, ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

C Print

James Welling001, 2006, 2006

Price Upon Request

001, 2006

By James Welling

Located in New York, NY

001, 2006 2006 Initialed, titled, and numbered, verso Chromogenic print (Edition of 58) 19.75 x 15.75 inches Contact gallery for price. This work is offered by CLAMP in New York...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

C Print

James WellingTile Photograph 8, 1985/2013

Price Upon Request

Tile Photograph 8

By James Welling

Located in New York, NY

Gelatin silver print (Edition of 50) Signed and numbered in purple, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.

Category

1980s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Erik PawassarH2O IV - large format photograph of sun reflections on pool water surface, 2014

$2,200

H 40 in W 32 in D 0.03 in

H2O IV - large format photograph of sun reflections on pool water surface

By Erik Pawassar

Located in San Francisco, CA

mesmerizing light reflections of glistening sunlight on turquoise aquamarine water surface, an homage to the iconic pool reflections paintings by artist David Hockney 40 x 32 inches...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Frank SchottCloud Study I - large format photograph of dramatic cloudscape sky, 2016

$4,400

H 48 in W 72 in

Cloud Study I - large format photograph of dramatic cloudscape sky

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

an homage to Caspar David Friedrich, towering thunder clouds over the Mediterranean Sea, captured with a large format camera to allow epic scale photograph...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Giclée, Black and ...

Erik PawassarH2O IV - Homage to David Hockney, 2014

$4,400

H 60 in W 48 in

H2O IV - Homage to David Hockney

By Erik Pawassar

Located in San Francisco, CA

large format photograph of sun reflections on pool water surface, mesmerizing light reflections of glistening sunlight on turquoise aquamarine water surface, an homage to the iconic ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée

George McLeodFire Study 1 - Flames abstract, Mounted and Framed with antireflective Art Glass, 2020

$2,673

H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 1.19 in

Fire Study 1 - Flames abstract, Mounted and Framed with antireflective Art Glass

By George McLeod

Located in London, GB

Inspired by East Asian Sumi ink drawings, George McLeod wanted to find a photographic way of producing intricately detailed images. As with Sumi ink draw...

Category

2010s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Color, Silver Gelatin

Kind of CyanPile of Stones in Blue, Handmade Cyanotype Monotype, Organic Geology Set, Paper, 2026

$545

H 40 in W 28 in

Pile of Stones in Blue, Handmade Cyanotype Monotype, Organic Geology Set, Paper

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

“Pile of Stones” is an original handmade cyanotype monotype that distills the quiet presence of stacked forms into a refined, contemporary composition. Rendered in layered blues with...

Category

2010s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Monotype

Kind of CyanBlue Mountains, Vertical Panorama, Minimalist Landscape, Handmade Cyanotype, 2026

$545

H 40 in W 28 in

Blue Mountains, Vertical Panorama, Minimalist Landscape, Handmade Cyanotype

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

Blue Mountains is a handmade cyanotype monotype that presents a quiet landscape of layered mountain forms in soft shades of blue. Created through the cyanotype process, the tonal var...

Category

2010s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Monotype

Frank SchottSeascape IV (Homage to Mark Rothko) - large format abstract ocean photograph, 2016

$4,800

H 60 in W 48 in D 0.3 in

Seascape IV (Homage to Mark Rothko) - large format abstract ocean photograph

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

From a series of large scale abstract photographs of muted color monochromatic water surface color clouds and horizon SEASCAPE IV by Frank Schott an homage to Mark Rothko 60" x 48" / 152cm x 122cm signed edition of 7 75 x 58 inches / 190cm x 147cm signed edition of 7 archival quality fine art pigment print limited art edition published by Edition EKTAlux...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Kind of CyanPieces of a Set, Handmade Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Blue Geometric Abstraction, 2025

$545

H 40 in W 28 in

Pieces of a Set, Handmade Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Blue Geometric Abstraction

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This unique monotype cyanotype presents a refined exploration of form, color, and spatial rhythm. Soft, organic shapes emerge in layered tones of blue, arranged in a balanced composi...

Category

2010s Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Monotype

Frank SchottCloud Study VI - large scale photograph of dramatic momochromatic cloudscape sky, 2023

$2,200

H 24.6 in W 40 in

Cloud Study VI - large scale photograph of dramatic momochromatic cloudscape sky

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

An homage to Caspar David Friedrich, towering thunder clouds over the Pacific Ocean, from a series of dramatic cloud atlas observations and abstract skyscapes above the winter sea, c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink

Frank SchottWallscape II - large format abstract photograph of rust texture surface, 2017

$2,000

H 32 in W 40 in

Wallscape II - large format abstract photograph of rust texture surface

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

large scale photography of palimpsest from a series of photographic observances capturing urban textures and color palettes Wallscape II by Frank Schott 32 x 40 inches / 81cm x 102...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper

Frank SchottWallscape VI ( Il Famoso ) - abstract capture of vintage Italian circus poster, 2020

$1,600

H 32 in W 40 in

Wallscape VI ( Il Famoso ) - abstract capture of vintage Italian circus poster

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Wallscape VI by Frank Schott from a series of photographic observances capturing urban textures and palimpsest color palettes 32 x 40 inches / 81cm x 102cm edition of 25 signed 48...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Frank SchottWallscape VII (Green Door) - abstraction of urban textures and palimpsest colors, 2020

$2,200

H 32 in W 40 in D 0.03 in

Wallscape VII (Green Door) - abstraction of urban textures and palimpsest colors

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

large format photograph from a series of photographic observances capturing urban textures and palimpsest color palettes of Italy Wallscape VII (Green Door) by Frank Schott 32 x 40 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Welling Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée

James Welling abstract photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic James Welling abstract photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by James Welling in c print, silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1980s and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large James Welling abstract photography, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Aziz + Cucher, Kate Petley, and Bill Armstrong.