Abstract Composition
Initially a painter who studied under Fernand Léger, Henri turned to photography in 1927 after attending a summer course at the Bauhaus with László Moholy-Nagy. The influence of both heritages is apparent in this powerful abstract image. Henri arranges smooth, industrially produced objects—a round ball and a metal grate—against mirrors to create a play of space and reflective surface. Simultaneously, she imbues her objects with stasis and poise that resonates with the universalizing impulse of Purism, a painting movement advocated and practiced by such artists as Léger, Amédée Ozenfant, and Le Corbusier, which sought to depict the simple, essential geometries of everyday objects.
Artwork Details
- Title: Abstract Composition
- Artist: Florence Henri (American, 1893–1982)
- Date: 1929
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 12.4 x 17.3 cm (4 7/8 x 6 13/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1100.63
- Rights and Reproduction: © Galleria Martini & Ronchetti, Genoa, Italy; www.florencehenri.com
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
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