"I was drawn to the fragility and grace of the human figure in the landscape…paradise has become an uneasy dwelling place; the sublime sea frames our vulnerability, the precarious nature of life itself."
—Richard Misrach
Known for his ethereal depictions of the American Southwest and stunning use of color, Richard Misrach photographs dramatic land and seascapes, and, more recently, produces breathtakingly complex abstractions. Misrach's work engages with traditional ideas of the sublime landscape, as their immense beauty engulfs both the subjects in his photographs as well as the viewer.
On the Beach, one of Misrach's most famous series, features spectacular aerial images of the sea and beach that convey both the vulnerability and preciousness of life. One of the most pervasive themes present in his work is the relationship between humans and their environment, depicting our impact on the world through feats of engineering as in his Golden Gate Bridge series, and with his Desert Cantos with nuclear testing in the American desert.
2004 Chromogenic print, printed 2005, flush-mounted. 48 x 66 1/4 in. (121.9 x 168.3 cm) Overall 52 1/2 x 71 in. (133.4 x 180.3 cm) Signed, dated, numbered 5/7 and annotated '806-04' in ink on a label affixed to the reverse of the frame.