Absence of subject

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In 2003, Somoroff visited an August Sander exhibition, Menschen des 20th Jahrhunderts (People of the 20thcentury), at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This unique body of work is a large series of meticulously composed portraits; demonstrating Sander's understanding of the hierarchical order of German society with a presentation of his subjects not only as individuals but also as typologies. Somoroff selected 40 images from Sander's work, he then successfully removed the sitter with the assistance of computer technology, leaving only a clean background. The pictures retain the subtle suggestions of human habitation with tea services, open books, and pulled out chairs patiently waiting. The works appear as though the subject has just stepped outside the range of view. This sense of mystery is intensified through the display of empty landscapes, shops, and houses-all without occupants. These new images created by Somoroff emphasize the persuasive power and aesthetic qualities available in the oeuvre of August Sander, even without the key element of mankind. This unusual collaboration between Michael Somoroff and August Sander are works of photographic art and conceptual masterpieces, offering a ground breaking new definition of portrait photography.