ARTWORK - CONTEMPORARY
NELSON HANCOCK
WAVES
Waves, Scene 2
Circa 2005
Edition of 8
Archival pigment print, mounted on Cintra
40 x 60 inches
#NH001002
The Waves series is part of a large and ongoing project by Hancock, entitled "Coast." The characteristic effect of this image comes from hand-holding a large format (4 x 5 inch) camera during a somewhat long exposure (about 2-4 seconds). There is camera movement and then obviously the water is moving too. It was shot at twilight with a low fog overhead, so the murk and blur come from a few different sources. Finally, the lens is a 1920s vintage portrait lens designed for low contrast studio work. The lens was made without any modern coatings, so it transmits a somewhat muted palate that is inherently low contrast, and not exactly color corrected. The end result is a very soft palate with semi-obscured details; a more painterly photograph. According to Hancock, "The photograph reduces a familiar subject to its simplest elements. The forms of waves are transformed into washes of color and gauzy shapes."
