Accession Number
2008/2.198.4

Title
Wet Sands

Artist(s)
Lucien Clergue

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1965; printed 2006

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
16 in x 12 in (40.64 cm x 30.48 cm);20 in x 16 in (50.8 cm x 40.64 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Jeffrey and Elena Sobel

Label copy
Recent Acquisitions: Curators Choice Part I, November 12, 2011-March 18, 2012
Lucien Clergue
France, born 1934
Wet Sands, Camargue
1965
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Jeffrey and Elena Sobel, 2008/2.198.4

Subject matter
Clergue frequently photographed nature, with a focus on sand, throughout his career. His images of marshes and beaches hint at the cycles of life and death found in nature. In this image, Clergue photographed a pattern created by natural elements: wind, water, and sand. The result is a cropped-in view of miniscule canyons imprinted in the sand. 

Physical Description
This photograph of wet sand shows grooves formed in the sand by wind or water, creating canyon-like formations when viewed at this closed-in, cropped angle.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
daylight
geometric patterns
lines (artistic concept)
sand
water (inorganic material)