[Woman's Face, through Halftone Screen]

Otto Kraft

1930s · Gelatin silver print · Photographs

Otto Kraft was not a professional photographer, but in his capacity as a graphic designer he participated in several major photography exhibitions. This picture reflects his applied approach to the medium as a component of larger design projects. Kraft shows a young woman grinning through a scrim of tiny spots called a halftone screen. Used by printers, the screen transposes the tonality of a photograph into a dotted gradient for mechanical reproduction. In his unusual image, Kraft investigates formal applications of this utilitarian tool.

Artist

Otto Kraft

Date

1930s

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987