Related Searches:

Fine Art Photography: A Moment in Time

Photography is one of the mainstays of modern art. From its founding as an art form, it has allowed us to contemplate the world, not as something still and unmoving, but as something which is not currently moving. Stillness, in the hands of the photographer, is a prism and not the subject matter itself.

The History of Fine Art Photography

From its inception in the 19th century, photography has had a kind of double life. Photography was a tool for the documentation of current events and everyday life. But it was also an artistic medium in its own right. Photographic portraiture of notables and petty officials and their families was self-consciously styled on older motifs from painting, sculpture, and drawings, presenting dignified (or dignifying) portraits of people meant to reincarnate in photography the techniques and atmosphere of portraiture in figurative art since the Renaissance.

At the beginning of the 20th century, photography transformed into an avant-garde art form. Playing a huge role in the new techniques of collage art, which combined photographs with drawings, objects, and painting, it began to take on a prominent role in the creation of art. But it was also massively influential in another sense.

Together with the rise of lithography and other types of printing, photography contributed to a new climate of cultural production, in which reproduction was the watchword. The implications of this new paradigm - famously addressed by the philosopher Walter Benjamin, who called attention to the decline of uniqueness as the flagship indicator of an artwork's value and meaning - reverberated throughout the arts.

In the United States, the photographer and publicist Alfred Stieglitz capitalized on the young medium. His haunting portrait series of Georgia O'Keeffe, which drew attention to her hands, is today one of the most recognizable landmarks in the history of photography as a fine art. Along with other photographic artists like Ansel Adams and Edward Steichen, Stieglitz brought photography into its own as a fine art genre.

Throughout the 20th century the use of photography as an artistic medium became ever more abundant. In the hands of avant-gardists photography became integral to fine art as practiced by surrealists, expressionists, and others. Photography's ability to capture the flux of reality at a still-stand lent inspiration to abstract art across many media, and to abstract photography in particular. Conceptual art shares with abstract art a suspicion of all realia, but outdoes it in its skepticism towards the practice of art itself. Conceptual photography is one of fine art's most productive and storied tributaries. For the conceptual photographer, a photograph is an artist statement. Whether or how the photograph itself is a work of art is up to interpretation.

Exploring Lumas Photography

The Lumas collection is large and spread out across numerous themes and genres, from fine art portraits to nude photography. Our collection of fashion photography is distinguished for its focus on electrifying runway scenes, and a unique focus on vintage and black and white fashion pieces. Our landscapes, taken by some of the world's most impressive landscape photographers, challenge the conventions of the genre while also doing what landscapes are traditionally relied upon to do: envelop us in new, and usually tranquil, worlds.

Our collection includes some of the most renowned photo artists. Among our classics collection, we have some of the most storied names in the history of photography. Our lineup of contemporary artists includes some of the world's most celebrated and sought-after photo artists including Patrick J. Adams, Damien Hirst, Miki Takahashi, and more.

Producing Lumas Photographs

Our thought-provoking photographs are produced as limited editions, using a combination of traditional and cutting-edge photo development techniques. Afterwards they are mounted onto aluminum Dibond, a high-end aluminum composite specifically designed for art. Our curators work with artists to determine the best framing and mounting options. Pieces are generally available frameless or in a precision-made, hand-finished frame. There is also the option to place photographs and prints under museum-grade glass. Want to know more about our production methods, portfolio of artists, and buying options? Read more about the Lumas concept.

Our portfolio encompasses a wide array of fine art photography - vintage, modernist, and contemporary. The specific subject matter of our photography prints features traditional photographic themes like landscapes and black and white portraits, as well as the conventional subject matter and artistic techniques of art prints in general, including paintings, drawings, and digital creations.

The Lumas Concept

Based in Berlin, we are in the beating heart of Europe's trendiest and most advanced art scene, one which thrives on a dynamic mutual interplay with the art markets of North America. Lumas is known as an exciting and trusted voice, with a sharp eye for evaluating trends in the art world, and farsightedness in estimating future value.

The Lumas concept is unique in the art world. Our artworks are limited edition fine artworks, by famous and emerging artists who work in a variety of media including photography, drawings, sculpture, digital editing, and painting. Our portfolio management experts find our artists through exhibitions, fine art academies, and word on the street. But we are also committed to the liberation of art, which we pursue by making our high-quality products and scrupulously curated collection available for more affordable prices. This allows more people to take part in collecting and furnishing their homes with art by wonderful artists - without compromising on quality or collectibility.

The collectibility of our artworks inheres in the reputations of the artists and the subject matter of the the individual works, as well as in the Lumas brand. Our photography prints are produced as Limited Editions, in print runs of around 75 to 150 individual prints. Once these are sold, the print run is finished. And that is the Lumas mission: inspiring you to turn your home or office into galleries all their own, while balancing the exclusivity and collectibility of our artworks with availability and affordability.

For more inspiration, explore our curated artworks and guide to art for your home. Or get in touch. Our curators and the design experts in our galleries are happy to work with you to find the right piece for your home or office.