Jeffrey ConleyHanging Branches with Snow2005
2005
About the Item
- Creator:Jeffrey Conley (1969, American)
- Creation Year:2005
- Dimensions:Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Santa Monica, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: G11042814102
Jeffrey Conley
Jeffrey Conley describes his crisp black-and-white photographs of natural phenomena as “meditative” experiences. In the meditation world, one of the most common metaphors used to characterize a human being’s relationship to consciousness is that of waves on the ocean: Consciousness itself is the ocean, and every thought, sensation, emotion and even the idea of a stand-alone self is a wave, still part of the vast body of water yet minuscule in comparison to it.
Conley’s contemplative 2001 photograph Figure and Tide is, indeed, an image of a sparkling, wide-open Pacific Ocean as well as gently undulating waves. But something even smaller grabs the viewer’s attention here: a tiny female figure standing where the water meets the shore. It is reminiscent of Chinese Taoist and Chan Buddhist ink paintings, in which lone monks or sages are dwarfed by the surrounding landscape to show that humankind is a part of nature, not separate from it.
To get the shot, the Oregon-based photographer perched on one of Big Sur, California’s famous cliffs on a sunny afternoon, aiming his Hasselblad 500C down at the sea below. “I was captivated with the play of light on water and the rhythmic patterns of the wave sets,” he has recalled. “As I was looking through the camera, I noticed a beach walker come into the scene. At first, I was not happy to have a person in there. Then, it all happened very quickly. Just as the white surf encircled her, she turned in perfect profile to gaze out at the ocean.”
Decades after Conley captured this perfect moment, a platinum-palladium print of Figure and Tide went on view in 2023’s “A Beautiful World: The Power of Nature,” at Peter Fetterman Gallery, in Santa Monica. The exhibition brought together striking, monochromatic landscape photos by such pioneers of the form as Ansel Adams, Charles Scowen, Isaiah West Taber and John Edward Sache, alongside contemporary masters like Sebastião Salgado, Pentti Sammallahti, Cig Harvey and Conley.
Find authentic Jeffrey Conley photography on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Santa Monica, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 30 days of delivery.
- Penn Station, New YorkBy Sabine WeissLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned, titled, & dated in pencil on print verso Gelatin Silver Print Paper - 16"x20", Image 14"x16", Matted - 20"x24"Category
1960s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Douglas, Wyoming - Boy in Cowboy Hat & Collie.By Elliott ErwittLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned, titled and dated in pencil on sheet verso Gelatin silver print 20 x 16" sheet; 17.5 x 12" imageCategory
1950s Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Je suis un cheval, EspagneBy Sabine WeissLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Paper 16"x20", Matted 20"x24"Category
1950s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Kentucky TreesBy Paul CaponigroLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned, titled and dated in pencil on mount recto Gelatin silver print Paper 9-3/4"x14-3/4", Mount 14-3/4"x20-1/4", Matted 18"x23"Category
1960s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- SidekickBy Melvin SokolskyLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned and titled in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Image 9x9",Paper 11x14", Matted 16x20"Category
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Lost and FoundBy Sabine WeissLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned in pencil on verso Gelatin Silver Print Image 13x17 3/4", Paper 16x20, Matted 20x24Category
1950s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Young Vaganova Students Getting Ready St. Petersburg - fine art photography 1999By Arthur ElgortLocated in Vienna, ATAll prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. In this captivating black and white photograph, the scene unfolds with young ballet dancers adorned in pristine white tutus. Positioned before a window, soft natural light bathes the space, casting gentle highlights and shadows on their poised figures. The dancers are in the midst of preparation, their graceful postures capturing a serene moment of anticipation before practice. The contrast between the purity of their tutus and the shadows adds a timeless elegance to the composition, emphasizing both the discipline and artistry inherent in ballet. Claudia Schiffer causing a mob in Rome, Kate Moss dancing on the tables in Paris...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Cannes Film Festival, FranceBy Gérard UférasLocated in Vienna, ATHumorous picture of comic superhero Batman next to a Police man on a motorcycle taken at the French Festival. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art p...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Les trois genies de "La Flute enchantee" de Mozart, Theatre royal de la MonnaieBy Gérard UférasLocated in Vienna, ATPortrait of the three child-spirits of Mozarts music opera “The Magic Flute”. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most...Category
1990s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Bolshoi Theatre, MoscowBy Gérard UférasLocated in Vienna, ATPortrait of a boy watching a music opera or ballet through binoculars in the Russian theatre. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for ...Category
1990s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Mary Louise Parker - nude portrait with body chain, fine art photography, 2002By Nigel ParryLocated in Vienna, ATAll prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certific...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Jenny Saville - Portrait of the Artist in her Studio, fine art photography 1995By Nigel ParryLocated in Vienna, ATAll prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certific...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Photo of Big Sur Reveals the Awesomeness and Intimacy of Nature
When a beachcomber accidentally stepped in front of Jeffrey Conley’s camera, a perfect moment was captured.
Photographer Jerry Schatzberg Remembers a Legendary Shoot with Bob Dylan
The acclaimed lensman and the folk-rock phenomenon clicked, and a captivating portrait followed.