Marcus Maddox Figures of Colors Series Cover

Figures of Color A photography project by Marcus Maddox

Figures of Color is a visual study of black skin – American photographer Marcus Maddox was rewarded 1st Prize in The Independent Photographer’s 2018 Open Call.

“The series is inspired by the black subjects in Alex Gardner paintings and the hard-edge approach to abstract painting characterized by areas of flat colors with sharp edges. By implementing sharp changes of color in photographs, I intend to bring focus to the beauty of black skin. Vibrant, often pastel scenery surrounds each black character, while white and off-white clothing further intensifies the contrasting elements.

For me, this imagery represents the uniqueness and significance of people of color in a mostly white American country. The dark traces of each image would not work without the lighter fragments, representing the need for balance. Some of the images lean more towards fashion than others, but they’re all about seeing black skin.

With minimal direction and set design, I attempt to arrive at pure simplicity. In a world that’s constantly changing, it’s interesting to think about all the ways in which black and white work together. The visual concept underlined with fundamental issues of race in America makes for a life-long personal project, one that I hope will carry the complexities of black people across time.” – Marcus Maddox, August 2019

– Discover more of Marcus’s work here

Call for entries

black and white street photo of man being shaved on the street in China by Jian Wang
© Jian Wang
2025 Street Photography AWARD

Win $2700 Cash Awards & International Exposure

This September, we’re challenging you to capture powerful and inspiring urban stories. Acclaimed Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden will be judging the entries, and we’re excited to see your most compelling images.

 

  • Win $2700 in Cash Prizes
  • International Exhibition
  • +920k Instagram Feature
  • Free Online Portfolio

Recent Articles

More Articles

Privacy Overview
The Independent Photographer

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website or helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

We use third-party cookies, including tools like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel, to help us understand how visitors interact with our website. These cookies may track your activity across other websites and are used for analytics, performance monitoring, and advertising purposes.

Enabling these cookies helps us improve your experience and provide relevant offers and content. You can opt out at any time via the cookie settings.