The realm of photography has been radically transformed since 2003. With most of us having a camera right in our pocket, it’s estimated that over 1,000 photos are posted on Instagram every second. Within this digital landscape, the definition of a “great photograph” has become all the more intricate. Here at Aesthetica, we strive to feature art pieces that provide fresh perspectives, shatter barriers, and re-invent customary norms. This article showcases our top chosen images from the last twenty years.
Andrea Torres Balaguer, quince (2017)
Mankind has been creating portraits for thousands of years. What we see here is a modern image by Andrea Torres Balaguer, who masterfully combines elements of the old and the new, analogue and digital. The subject sits as if being portrayed in a large-format oil painting, enveloped in regal hues of red, green, black, and gold. Balaguer superimposes faces with rough brushwork, slicing through the composition to impart a sense of facelessness.
Brooke DiDonato, Long Way Down (2016)
During the previous decade, photographer Brooke DiDonato initiated a virtual rebirth of “the uncanny.” This notion, closely linked with Sigmund Freud, who in 1919 defined it as a term used for something both familiar and alien. For more than a century, such images have intrigued audiences, from within surrealist art to experimental cinema. DiDonato has gained recognition on social media for her faintly tinted suburban world: a place that is subtly askew. Windows, garage doors, and sidewalks serve as the backdrop for the strange occurrences. Comfortable homes and gardens bristle with risk, humor, and curiosity, prompting a second glance.
Fares Micue, Burning Energy (2019)
Fares Micue’s creation is featured on the front of Issue 112. The artist stands in balance as paper birds whizz by. This image was selected for its resonance with our 20th anniversary, representing the strength of ideas and the courage to execute them. Micue is a self-educated Spanish photographer who crafts conceptual portraits with dreamlike and uplifting elements, and at times, surreal, with faces completely occluded by blossoming flowers and folded paper cranes. “Every component in my compositions holds a purpose,” declares Micue. “I aim for my pictures to provide a sense of hope.” They are sharp, imaginative, and flawlessly arranged.
Ellie Davies, Stars 8 (2014 – 2015)
In 2022, the world got its first glimpse of images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex space observatory ever launched. Its captivating photos – comprising the deepest infrared view of the universe ever captured – inspire us to contemplate our part in the vast cosmological ensemble. Ellie Davies’ Stars 8 induces a comparable effect. The artist ingeniously overlays real photos from the Hubble Space Telescope onto shadowy forest silhouettes. Forests, in themselves, are inherently magical, but Davies adds another dimension to their allure – blending science and art to underscore the transient nature of our existence.
Yannis Davy Guibinga, Ivy Guerrier-Cadet and Atlas Hapy for Nikon Z50. From Of Colour (2016)
Yannis Davy Guibinga’s striking portraits form part of an extensive and pivotal dialogue about the portrayal of Africa and its diaspora. These portraits depict a “new generation of Africans” – using photography as a medium to confront globalization and western imperialism. To do so, the artist skillfully manipulates color and contrast. In this photograph, from our August / September 2020 cover, a vibrant shade of aqua is offset by luminous yellow, while soft shadows add texture to the background. This knack for composition has earned Guibinga global acclaim, leading to collaborations with brands like Apple, Squarespace, and Adobe.
