Coppi Barbieri

Black and white glass and water photography.

L I N K S -

Refractions & Abstractions – Photography of Interiors and Objects by Coppi Barbieri | OEN

Coppi Barbieri is a joint collaboration of Lucillia Barbieri and Frabizio Coppi. Their name comes from taking both of their surnames to create Coppi Barbieri.

Starting their collaboration in 1991in Milan. Based in London since 1996, they have created and explored different projects from different parts of the world from New York, Rio, Paris, Tokyo. Milan, and Arizona.

Their works is similar to Bauhaus photographer Gertrud Arndt - one of their works where she uses a series of glasses and some lights to photograph shadows in black and white.

Their works reveal abstract placement of shadows which is being created from lights and refractions. Primarily working in black and white, but have seen to produce photograph with colour one of which being inspired by an artist Richard Anuszkiewicz.

This photograph introduced multiple pieces of broken glass which have been presented in a way to create shapes and abstract patterns. The texture of the glass further creates this wavy effect in the shadows.

Their works that showcase glass cups are filled with water at different levels, this further creates an interesting pattern with the shadow.

The shadows are created by using a direct source of light which is angled in a certain way to produce larger but softer shadows or smaller yet harsher shadows. Their works is quite specific with a lot of movement in placement in both the glasses and lighting.

The shadows are further pronounced by the white background adding more contrast to the dark dense shadow. Rather than using a black background they have used a lighter background to highlight the texture.

I will recreate this using anything glass - from glass cups to glass figures/statues, and placing them on a white background. I will also experiment with using a black background (keeping to the black and white setting). I think that if i were to use colour it would lose this abstract sense that their works have.

Their works remind of Louis Bowes works where they create these black and white collages of buildings with people. It has a similar setting in which he uses a white background with contrasted images placed in the centre - leaving negative space all around.

SETUP :

Equipment - White A3/A2 paper, Directed light source, Glass cups/objects

Lighting - I balanced a rectangular light box on a tripod, as I didn't own a directed standing light.
Using a stool to be able to capture a birds eye view.
Large surface table with an A2 sheet of white paper.
Glass cups - ranging sizes and cup types (all made out of glass)

PROCESS :

Placing the white paper against the floor/flat surface.
(Changeable) Placing glass cups in different areas of the paper and filling them with water.
(Changeable) Using a light source, placing it to shine at a certain point.
Photograph directly above the paper/subject (birds eye view).