Absence Portraits A photography project by Lissa Rivera

Absence Portraits is a project by New York-based photographer Lissa Rivera:

Found photographs have intrinsic qualities that shape our perceptions of an image and inform our
understanding of its time, place, and socioeconomic circumstances. By digitally removing the
person from old cabinet card portraits, Rivera reveals an artificial environment created by the
photographer to heighten the perception of the subject. Bereft of the individual, only a stage
remains. The tension between presence and absence is heightened by the placement of objects
that were meant to compliment the body of a person no longer there. The stage that we see is a
perfect tableaux of projected desires and fantasies. In an attempt to transcend class and location
during a time when photography was mostly restricted to the studio, a virtual environment is
created which eerily resonates with our digital age.

Published October 3, 2016

Open for entries

black and white street photo of man crossing street in New York City, USA by Jc Calingo
© Jc Calingo
2023 Street Photography AWARD

Win Cash Awards & International Exposure

Candid depictions of quotidian life; prismatic hues amongst the grey of the city; subtle moments of joy, humor, or love: we want to see YOUR streets!⁠

  • Win $2000 in Cash
  • International Exhibitions
  • Published in 2023 photobook
  • Free Portfolio Account
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Deadline: 31 March 2023

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