Florence Henri

Book excerpt: Florence Henris 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 Henris 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. László Moholy-Nagy, a supporter and her contemporary, is quoted as saying: With Florence Henris photos, photographic practice enters a new phasethe 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 todays experimentation with the medium as it was in its day.