The Geometry Of Solitude: 3 Striking Black And White Winners Of The 2019 Minimalist Photography Awards Street Category
In the world of contemporary photography, few genres demand the precision and emotional depth of minimalism. The inaugural Minimalist Photography Awards (MPA) in 2019 set a new global standard for this art form, particularly in the highly competitive Street Photography category. As of this current date, December 23, 2025, the impact of these initial winning images continues to resonate, defining a visual language that strips away the superfluous to reveal the raw essence of urban life and human isolation.
The 2019 Street Photography category, powered by the *Black & White Minimalism* magazine, showcased artists who mastered the delicate balance of composition, negative space, and profound emotional storytelling. The resulting black and white masterpieces were not merely photographs; they were meditations on the modern urban experience, using stark contrast and geometric purity to capture moments of profound, yet beautiful, solitude.
The 2019 Minimalist Photography Awards Street Category Laureates
The first edition of the Minimalist Photography Awards, established to recognize, reward, and expose talented minimalist photographers globally, immediately drew attention for its high-caliber judging and diverse submissions. The Street Photography category was a showcase for how the 'less is more' philosophy could be applied to the chaotic, unpredictable environment of the city. The winning images masterfully used light, shadow, and architectural lines to isolate their subjects, turning the urban landscape into a stage for quiet drama.
1st Place Winner: Kris Desautels — "Post Industrial Confusion"
The top prize in the Street Photography category went to Kris Desautels for his powerful series titled "Post Industrial Confusion." This work is a quintessential example of how black and white photography can amplify a photograph's thematic weight. Desautels’ images, primarily captured on the streets of Chicago, focus on the themes of loneliness and isolation within a massive, often overwhelming, metropolitan environment.
- Photographer: Kris Desautels
- Winning Title: "Post Industrial Confusion"
- Location Focus: Chicago, USA
- Key Themes: Urban Isolation, Loneliness, Geometric Purity, Post-Industrial Landscape
- Technique: High contrast, extensive use of negative space, and isolating human figures against colossal architectural backdrops.
Desautels’ approach is a masterclass in minimalist street photography techniques. He transforms the complex, dense structure of the city into simple, stark geometric forms. The human subject, often a solitary figure, is reduced to a small, almost abstract element—a tiny point of humanity swallowed by the vastness of concrete and steel. This visual narrative perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being a single entity in a bustling world, a theme that resonates deeply with contemporary audiences.
The Overarching Triumph: Klaus Lenzen, Minimalist Photographer of the Year 2019
While the focus is on the Street Category, no discussion of the 2019 MPA is complete without mentioning the overall winner. The prestigious title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year 2019 was awarded to Klaus Lenzen from Germany for his series "Pole Vault."
Lenzen’s series, though not in the Street category, reinforced the core principles of the awards: turning dynamic movement and complex subjects into geometric, almost sculptural forms. His work, alongside Desautels', established the 2019 MPA as a platform for photographers who could distill reality into its most fundamental visual components.
Thematic Deep Dive: Isolation and the Urban Environment
The winning photographs from the 2019 Street Category share a common, powerful thread: the exploration of human presence in the modern urban maze. This goes beyond simple documentation; it is a conceptual exploration of the city as a space of both connection and profound detachment.
The Power of Negative Space and Contrast
The consistent use of black and white in the winning entries is not a stylistic choice, but a narrative tool. By eliminating color, the photographers force the viewer's eye to focus entirely on form, texture, and light. In Desautels' "Post Industrial Confusion," the sharp contrast between bright concrete planes and deep shadows emphasizes the structural rigidity of the environment, making the isolated human figure stand out as a vulnerable element. This technique elevates the image from a simple street shot to a profound commentary on modern life.
The 2nd Place Street Photography series, which featured three photographs shot in Downtown Los Angeles after sundown, further explored this concept. The series focused on isolation and minimalism in the urban environment at night, where artificial light sources create dramatic, abstract shapes and silhouettes. This nocturnal approach naturally enhances the negative space, allowing the viewer to feel the emptiness and quietude of the city after dark.
The Entity List: Key Elements Defining the 2019 MPA Aesthetic
To achieve topical authority, it is essential to recognize the various entities that define this specific moment in photography history. The 2019 MPA winners effectively codified a minimalist aesthetic that relies on several key elements:
- Geometric Abstraction: Using architectural elements (lines, squares, curves) to create abstract compositions.
- The Solitary Figure: The human element is often small, used as a scale reference or a symbol of urban anonymity.
- High Dynamic Range: The stark difference between black and white, creating a sense of drama and structural clarity.
- Thematic Depth: Moving beyond mere aesthetics to explore concepts like loneliness, confusion, isolation, and modern alienation.
- Key Locations: Chicago, Downtown Los Angeles, and the broader Post-Industrial Landscape.
The Enduring Legacy of the 1st Edition Minimalist Photography Awards
The 2019 Minimalist Photography Awards, as the inaugural edition, played a crucial role in legitimizing minimalist street photography as a distinct and powerful genre. It demonstrated that the principles of minimalism—simplicity, focus, and the elimination of non-essential elements—are perfectly suited to capturing the complex reality of the street.
The work of Kris Desautels, alongside other category winners like Maja Strgar Kurecic (Abstract) and the overall winner Klaus Lenzen, continues to serve as an inspiration for photographers seeking to find order and beauty in chaos. By focusing on the essential, these artists proved that a photograph doesn't need to be cluttered to be compelling; in fact, the most powerful images often speak loudest through silence and negative space. This enduring legacy has cemented the MPA as a significant annual event in the global photography calendar, continuing to champion the contemporary minimalist movement.
For aspiring minimalist street photographers, the 2019 winners provide a clear blueprint: master your composition, understand the emotional weight of light and shadow, and use the city's architecture not as a background, but as a co-star in your story of modern human existence. The black and white format remains the ultimate tool for this kind of purity, stripping away distraction to leave behind an image of timeless, geometric solitude.
Relevant Entities and LSI Keywords: Kris Desautels, Post Industrial Confusion, Klaus Lenzen, Pole Vault, Minimalist Photography Awards, Black & White Minimalism Magazine, Street Photography, Urban Isolation, Geometric Abstraction, Negative Space, Chicago Street Photography, Downtown Los Angeles, Contemporary Minimalist Movement, Fine Art Photography, Long Exposure, Architectural Photography, Maja Strgar Kurecic, Igor Matviyenko, Stéphane Chery (Honorable Mention), First Edition MPA, Black and White Photography Tips, Thematic Depth, Minimalist Aesthetic.
Detail Author:
- Name : Delta Howe
- Username : treinger
- Email : treva.kirlin@becker.com
- Birthdate : 1996-03-05
- Address : 666 Reichel Viaduct Harmonfort, CT 20491
- Phone : 1-425-519-7007
- Company : Mertz, Renner and Halvorson
- Job : Financial Examiner
- Bio : Dolores iste sed repudiandae dolorem. Tempora non odio accusantium laudantium maiores sint enim itaque. Et et eius quo. Ducimus et quod est qui deleniti id.
Socials
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/eboehm
- username : eboehm
- bio : Consequatur nulla tempore et delectus. Dolorum vitae nisi commodi qui numquam.
- followers : 4067
- following : 2424
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@eldridge_boehm
- username : eldridge_boehm
- bio : Quod adipisci natus veritatis dolorem voluptates. Id odio quod voluptates iure.
- followers : 3065
- following : 1977
