Untitled, from On the Beach, #763-03, 2003

Photographing from high atop a building perched near the Pacific Ocean, the beach below Misrach is peopled with a range of figures out of one’s life experiences. Often isolated against the sand or water, an inherent vulnerability becomes apparent. Compelled to pay more attention to certain individuals than others, a cast of iconic characters is revealed. Misrach’s On The Beach exhibition premiered at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007 and travelled extensively the following two years.