The photographs that he took in New York really influenced his work. The Afro-American women that Jan photographed on his trips through Harlem were a source of inspiration for gouaches, sculptures and tapestries. Jan Yoors eventually focused on buildings and small details in the urban landscape, such as torn posters on walls. These photos did not have documentary value; they formed the basis for his increasingly abstract designs. For the Tantra series Yoors used the shadows of leaves as a departure point. He made contact prints directly on photographic paper.
