Description
aperture Florence Henri Mirror of the Avant-Gardes 1927-40 2015 Edition by Florence Henri, Marta Gili
Florence Henri's work occupied a central place in the world of avant-garde photography in the late 1920s, and this survey pays homage to her essential, but under-recognized contribution. This comprehensive publication offers an unprecedented overview of Henri's work, produced between 1927 and 1940, and includes her iconic self-portraits and still lifes as well as lesserknown portraits of her contemporaries, photomontages, collages, and documentary work. Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, a supporter and her contemporary, is quoted as saying: "With Florence Henri's photos, photographic practice enters a new phase-the scope of which would have been unimaginable before today. Above and beyond the precise and exact documentary composition of these highly defined photos, research into the effects of light is tackled not only through abstract photograms, but also in photos of real-life subjects. . . . " Henri remains an inspiration for photographers, artists, and design enthusiasts who see her work as masterfully executed illustrations and experimentation in perspective and composition; a connective thread that is as relevant to today's experimentation with the medium as it was in its day.