Richard Misrach: Border Cantos

Richard Misrach documented cargo ships in the San Francisco Bay during a critical moment for the global shipping industry. Made in the light of early morning or late afternoon, Misrach’s images suggest a comparison to J.M.W Turner’s atmospheric maritime paintings, and recall the careful observation of the sky and water in Misrach’s own “Golden Gate” and “On the Beach” series.

An ongoing series exploring the abstracted pattern of an edgeless ocean surface, and the gestures and expressions of bathers adrift in the water.

Photographed from a distant, raised vantage point, Misrach’s images pose the mote-sized human figure against a looming and abstract pattern of sand and ocean waves, exploring the tension between control and release.

Photographed over several years from an unchanging vantage point, the series offers a meditation on the light, color, and atmosphere which transcend a fixed and familiar view.