Paul Strand
Drilling Machinecirca 1926, printed later

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 1

Black and white close-up photograph of industrial machine components, including a polished cylindrical shaft, gear rack, spur gears, and heavy cast-iron housing, with dramatic side lighting

Artist or Maker: Paul Strand
United States, 1890-1976
Title: Drilling Machine
Place Made: United States
Date Made: circa 1926, printed later
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image (includes black border): 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.24 × 20.32 cm) Primary support: 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.24 × 20.32 cm) Mat: 18 × 14 in. (45.72 × 35.56 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of G. Ray and Susan Hawkins
Accession Number: M.91.376
Classification: Photographs
Collecting Area: Photography
Curatorial Notes: Paul Strand’s close-up photographs of machines, created in the early 1920s, are assertive works that highlight his ability to merge art and industry through the lens of modernist photography. Akeley Machine Shop, New York, for example, focuses on the intricate details and geometric forms of an industrial object, transforming it into a striking composition of line, shape, texture, and light. Strand had a particular interest in this machine shop, located at 244–250 West 49th Street in New York City: he had acquired an Akeley Motion Picture Camera in 1922. In the subsequent year or so, he made several photographs of the camera’s interior and of the shop’s equipment. By isolating the parts of this lathe and emphasizing their abstract qualities, Strand celebrated the beauty of mechanical design while exploring themes of progress and modernity.

Strand’s approach was influenced by his belief in “straight photography,” in which clarity, precision, and the intrinsic qualities of the subject take precedence. In these works, he rejected Pictorialist manipulation and soft focus, instead using sharp detail and high contrast to create images that are both documentary and artistic. His close-ups of machines capture the spirit of the Machine Age, reflecting the cultural fascination with technology and its role in shaping the modern world.

Britt Salvesen

2024
Copyright: © Aperture Foundation Inc., Paul Strand Archive

Paul Strand
Drilling Machinecirca 1926, printed later

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 1

Artist or Maker: Paul Strand
United States, 1890-1976
Title: Drilling Machine
Place Made: United States
Date Made: circa 1926, printed later
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image (includes black border): 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.24 × 20.32 cm) Primary support: 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.24 × 20.32 cm) Mat: 18 × 14 in. (45.72 × 35.56 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of G. Ray and Susan Hawkins
Accession Number: M.91.376
Classification: Photographs
Collecting Area: Photography
Curatorial Notes: Paul Strand’s close-up photographs of machines, created in the early 1920s, are assertive works that highlight his ability to merge art and industry through the lens of modernist photography. Akeley Machine Shop, New York, for example, focuses on the intricate details and geometric forms of an industrial object, transforming it into a striking composition of line, shape, texture, and light. Strand had a particular interest in this machine shop, located at 244–250 West 49th Street in New York City: he had acquired an Akeley Motion Picture Camera in 1922. In the subsequent year or so, he made several photographs of the camera’s interior and of the shop’s equipment. By isolating the parts of this lathe and emphasizing their abstract qualities, Strand celebrated the beauty of mechanical design while exploring themes of progress and modernity.

Strand’s approach was influenced by his belief in “straight photography,” in which clarity, precision, and the intrinsic qualities of the subject take precedence. In these works, he rejected Pictorialist manipulation and soft focus, instead using sharp detail and high contrast to create images that are both documentary and artistic. His close-ups of machines capture the spirit of the Machine Age, reflecting the cultural fascination with technology and its role in shaping the modern world.

Britt Salvesen

2024