Modern Pictorialism is a photographic approach that reinterprets the painterly ethos of early 20th-century Pictorialism through the lens of Abstract Expressionism. By infusing the soft-focus romanticism of Stieglitz’s Photo-Secessionist movement with the emotive resonance of Rothko’s color fields, Modern Pictorialism seeks to redefine the language of modern photography.
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Modern Pictorialism is my response to the hyper-digital, insta-photos. It's a deliberate return to subjectivity and technical considerations involved in capturing light, color and shape. The images are atmospheric, fluid, and evocative, favoring mood over detail, emotion over 'like' counts.
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For curators and institutions seeking to explore the dialogue between historical photographic techniques and contemporary abstraction, Modern Pictorialism presents a compelling case for photography as an evolving fine art form. It is not merely a revival but a reinvention, a contemporary meditation on light, time, and emotional depth.
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For exhibition inquiries, collaborations, or acquisitions, contact us to bring this modern yet timeless photographic movement to new audiences.
Spain
Art Sojourn
After a year and half of sheltering in place, I headed to Spain to uncover the 'Missing Valazquez, tour the village of Trujillo for Francisco Pizzaro's home. My journey continued South to explore Seville and Cordoba before visiting the second home of my favorite artist El Greco.
Hawaii
Winter Wonderland
After visiting Spain and on the tail end of my sabbatical from Salesforce,
I convinced a long-time friend to meet me in Kauai for a Hawaiian winter.
PARIS
Hiking up Montmartre
In July 2024, my wife and I met our daughter in Paris, and then headed to Altensteig for a tour of the Black Forest and then to Berlin, just before the start of the Paris Olympics and the EuroCup Championship.
Gallery Examples
Sonoma, 2022.
30x40 printed on aluminum
Kauai, 2022. ​
30x40 printed on aluminum
Melbourne Architecture, 2018. ​
40x30 printed on aluminum
About this project
In 2017, a work-related trip to Australia introduced me to the vibrant world of Aboriginal art.
I was particularly captivated by ‘Dreamtime’ dot paintings, where abstract dots symbolize pathways to sacred sites, watering holes, and people-spirits. The pragmatic abstraction in these works resonated deeply with me.
While in Australia, I spent countless hours walking through the country’s iconic parks, shaded by magnificent tree canopies. These walks became meditative explorations of light, color and shape. I noticed how sunlight filtered through the dense foliage of the trees, creating circles of diffused light that spread across the ground—a natural phenomenon that served as a real-time photographic filter. These vignettes of fractured light inspired me to capture this interplay in a way that resulted in my current portfolio of Modern Pictorialism images.
To achieve this style, I used a macro lens beyond its focal length. This technical decision allowed me to view the scene as light, color, and shape rather than focus on the detail of a recognizable object. Keeping true to my larger body of work, I captured these images in full-frame with no post-production to reflect what I saw and felt at the moment.
This approach is informed by my appreciation of the earlier photographic movement of Pictorialism (think Steiglitz), as well as the modern art ethos of painters (think Rothko). By blending digital tech with timeless artistic philosophies, I reimagined pictorialism as Modern Pictorialism, and I’ve been using this as my primary method for capturing images.
The images in this collection represent my deliberate pre-visualization of light, color and shape that is abstractbut also familiar.
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Enjoy.