Shape of Light

Book excerpt: The accompanying catalogue to the first major exhibition to consider the relationship between the photographic medium and the history of abstraction in the twentieth century, on display at London's Tate Modern.The exhibition catalogue will be arranged in a broadly chronological way to tell the story of photography and its relationship with abstraction from around 1915 to the present day, and will include historic works in a variety of media from painting and sculpture to montage and kinetic installations. Beginning with the works of cubism and vorticism, the catalogue then highlights the key contributions of Bauhaus, constructivist and surrealist artists of the 1920's and 1930's. It then moves into the s̀ubjective photography' of the 1940's and 1950's, exploring the global scope of this movement through works by artists from Latin America and Asia, before considering the impacts of photography of abstract expressionism, op art and minimalism in Europe and the US.0Bringing together iconic as well as rarely seen works, Photography and Abstract Art explores the development of photography in relation to abstract art, tracing the key moments of innovation in new techniques and practice.