Conceptual Photography

Conceptual Photography

Conceptual photography uses images to portray abstract concepts or ideas.

Conceptual art emerged in the late sixties, introducing a fresh perspective on photography that goes beyond its traditional roles in portraiture, landscapes, and snapshots. Unlike mere two-dimensional, silent images, conceptual photographs are rich with meaning, harnessing creativity to evoke abstract concepts and emotions, such as love, nostalgia, loneliness, and the inexorable passage of time, to elicit a response from the viewer.

A key aspect of conceptual photography is that artists deliberately craft and meticulously stage their scenes to underscore their intended messages. This can entail the inclusion of implausible or exaggerated elements or skillful digital editing to amplify the overall impact.


Other words in the glossary


Building your collection? We can help.


Your questions, answered

Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.