Markus Amm

In his Untitled series, Markus Amm revives the technique of the photogram. Pioneered as an art form by Man Ray and Moholy Nagy (the latter of which coined the term “photogram”), the process utilises rudimentary photograph principles: objects are placed on a photosensitive surface, and briefly exposed to light to create an abstracted ‘x-ray’ image, an inverted shadow outline of suggestive form.

Adopting this approach a means to literally draw with light, Amm engages with modernist history and contemporary conceptions of space and technology. Presented in small format, Amm’s compositions are compacted micro architectures, his converging luminous geometries give the illusion of space age structures.

Amm’s angular patterns are also reminiscent of abstract and cubist paintings. Devoid of colour and mechanically produced, Amm’s photos combine the optimism of the avant-garde with an impersonal futuristic aesthetic.