I recently visited the Detroit Institute of Art. The D.I.A. includes a large collection of black and white photographs by Hungarian-born Andre Kertesz (1894-1985). The thoughtful photo subjects are given a stark, engaging philosophical and /or a geometrical logical exercise because of the black and white choice. If the same photos were done in color, Kertesz would have failed in his message. Color would have blurred or bedazzled the viewer. It's like a realist painting versus an impressionistic rendering. The former is about about metaphysics and philosophy and the latter is about comforting deception.
Ansel Adams and Alfred Steieglitz also did moving black and white photos. But their choices of subjects were of nature and industry respectively. In both cases structual ratios and metaphysical geometries are showcased. Whereas Kertesz's choice's feature everyday human experiences cast in an intense b & w with a jewelers eye. The photos become a philosophical experience.
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