▁began ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁International ▁Center ▁for ▁Phot ography ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁An sel ▁Adams . ▁ ▁Z up cu ' s ▁first ▁project ▁to ▁gain ▁attention ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁still ▁life ▁photograph s ▁featuring ▁flowers . ▁His ▁next ▁significant ▁project ▁involved ▁photograph ing ▁small ▁scenes , ▁often ▁as ▁small ▁as ▁ 1   inch ▁in ▁size , ▁using ▁a ▁square ▁format ▁Hass el bl ad ▁camera . ▁ ▁Through ▁his ▁construction ▁of ▁these ▁small ▁scenes ▁util izing ▁flowers , ▁cut ▁paper ▁and ▁painted ▁cub es , ▁and ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁light ▁manip ulation ▁and ▁silver ▁gel atin ▁printing ▁techniques , ▁he ▁succeeded ▁in ▁incorpor ating ▁abstra ction , ▁sculpt ure , ▁and ▁painting ▁into ▁phot ography ▁ ▁His ▁recent ▁series ▁of ▁cub es ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁modern ist ▁photograph ers , ▁such ▁as ▁Josef ▁Al bers , ▁whose ▁work ▁centered ▁on ▁mon och rom atic ▁still ▁lif es . ▁ ▁P aint ed ▁Cub es , ▁which ▁opened ▁at ▁the ▁Cl amp Art ▁Gallery ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁has ▁been ▁de emed ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁minimal ist ▁cub es ▁of ▁sculpt or ▁Donald ▁Jud d ▁and ▁the ▁paint ings ▁of ▁Robert ▁R yman ▁In ▁the ▁New ▁York er ▁review , ▁it ▁was ▁remarked ▁that , ▁Al ong side ▁photograph s ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁paint ings ▁of ▁cub es , ▁Z