Civilian Defense
Edward Weston
American, 1886–1958
1942
A gelatin silver–print photograph of a reclining nude wearing a gas mask, in which Weston pairs classical human form with wartime imagery to evoke vulnerability and surreal disquiet.
What strikes you is the uneasy contrast between the soft, lit curves of the body and velvet couch and the jarring, mechanical gas mask—accented by fern fronds—that transforms a serene pose into a haunting still life.
Made during World War II, the image pushes Weston's modernist focus on form into political and psychological territory, using a formal language of texture and line to confront civilian anxiety and the intrusion of war into domestic life.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
7 5/8 × 9 5/8" (19.3 × 24.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of David H. McAlpin
Accession
1874.1968
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
