Saturday, August 7, 2010

ON THE BEACH

Richard Misrach - On the Beach cover

Perfect for this time of year, I recently came across the book On the Beach.  It is an amazing collection of photographs by Richard Misrach. 

Richard Misrach- On the Beach series Untitled #80-2004 chromogenic print via Fraenkel Gallery

While at first glance I was immediately enthralled by the beauty of each image, of the crystal clear water, and of the tranquility of each picture, his intent with this collection was not quite so superficial.    The events of 9/11 moved him to explore the vulnerability of people, juxtaposed here with a vast open ocean.   Feelings of solitude accompany the visual beauty of each of these.

Richard Misrach - on the beach

After reading this interview with the artist, I was so intrigued that each of these very different photographs was taken from the exact same spot on his balcony in Hawaii.

       Richard Misrach- On the Beach series

Despite his purpose in suggesting fragility, it would be divine to be one of these ladies floating your afternoon away. Cute hat by the way (clearly I’m not a serious art critic with that comment!).

I adore the color of water.

002_MisrachUntitled213_0420

The colors and the textures of the sand are so eye catching.

Richard Misrach- Untitled 1132-04 2002 chromogenic print

Makes me think of Slim Aarons. 

Richard Misrach on allery wall

Most of these works are very large- about 6’ x 10’.  Makes a beautiful image even more spectacular.  I love how simple and pristine these are and wish I could find an image of one of these in an interior setting (other than a gallery).  

For those of you who love photography, this book is a stunner.  At  16” x 20” it’s much larger than your typical art/coffee table book.  The large size makes it all the more enticing and lets you see the detail of each work so well.   If you can’t make it to the beach this summer, this book is surely a visual vacation.

5 comments:

The Antiques Diva™ said...

What a wonderful way to watch time go by!

alita said...

just yesterday i found something that may be what you are looking for. i don t remember where, maybe desire to inspire. it caught my attention immediately, so i kept a copy in my pc.
if you give me an e mail adress i can send you the photo i downloaded.

TheAL said...

These are amazing. I can close my eyes and almost feel like I'm there. The sheer size of the photo really brings across the warmth and feel of beach days. Thank you for sharing these!

Charlotta Ward said...

How it is in Sydney where I live.. A tropical Christmas with white sand instead of snow..! :)

x Charlotta

Kitchen Benchtops said...

The beach are consistently warm and the color of water are always perfect.

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