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Lot Essay
Strand referred to the 90-pound camera as his 'magnificent machine,' which he bought for the large sum of $2,500 with money left to him by an aunt. Carl Akeley designed his innovative camera so that rapid action could be followed evenly and Strand used it to earn his living as a freelance cinematographer until 1931 when the camera became obsolete.
His series of photographs of the camera range from the somewhat representational to the virtually abstract, as in this case where the camera is upside-down, at a 45-degree angle and without film in its interior film chamber. The functional, rigorous forms and the sheen of highly-polished metal provide little information on how the camera actually works.
Strand's image is an acknowledged icon of American Modernism and this print of the image is exceptional, with tones ranging from inky blacks to luminous highlights. As is occasionally the case with Strand's work, the print is mounted back-to-back with an identical image.
His series of photographs of the camera range from the somewhat representational to the virtually abstract, as in this case where the camera is upside-down, at a 45-degree angle and without film in its interior film chamber. The functional, rigorous forms and the sheen of highly-polished metal provide little information on how the camera actually works.
Strand's image is an acknowledged icon of American Modernism and this print of the image is exceptional, with tones ranging from inky blacks to luminous highlights. As is occasionally the case with Strand's work, the print is mounted back-to-back with an identical image.