Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography And Abstract Art

This exhibition reveals the intertwined histories of photography and abstract art, from the early experiments of the 1910s to the digital innovations of the 21st century. Featuring more than 300 works by some 100 artists, the exhibition places moments of innovation in photography within the wider context of abstract art, presenting a series of comparisons between the two media that include pairings of cubist works by George Braque and Pierre Dubreuil, the Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollock and Otto Steinert’s luminograms, and a series of Surrealist abstractions from the human body associated with surrealism. The exhibition includes a focus on artists whose practice encompass both media, including László Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray. Later rooms are devoted to Op Art, Kinetic Art, minimalism and conceptualism, including juxtapositions of paintings by Bridget Riley with photographs by Floris Neussis and Gottfried Jaegerand, before the exhibition concludes with a series of contemporary works exploring photography and abstraction today. Find out more about the ‘Shape of Light’ exhibition from the Tate’s website.

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