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.

Open for entries

color travel photo of men bathing in river in Kolkata, India by Billy Dinh
© Billy Dinh
2023 People AWARD

Win Cash Awards & International Exposure

In December we are looking for portraiture, travel, street photography, documentary work, photojournalism or any other form of photographic practice that tells the story of people!

  • Win $2000 in Cash
  • International Exhibitions
  • Shared on +700K IG network
  • Free Portfolio Account
Submit Photos
Deadline: 31 December 2023

Recent Articles

More Articles