Shells

Description

Weston took this photograph after his return from Mexico, where he had experienced a radical artistic discovery: a straight photograph, manipulated only by choices of light and framing, could reveal extraordinary forms and surprises in even the commonest subjects. The image was also a product of Weston’s recent introduction to Henrietta Shore, who was working on a series of paintings of shells.

Framing the shells at close range against a dark ground, Weston created delicate, geometric compositions that are beautifully intriguing, nearly abstract, and exceedingly sensual. The Shells series was one of his most popular, and the images received much acclaim from art critics and fellow artists.