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Striking gelatin silver photograph by renowned American photographer Jerry N. Uelsmann (1934–2022), depicting one of his characteristically surreal combinations of landscape, water and the human form.
The vertical composition moves through three extraordinary visual layers: a dramatic cloud-filled sky above a weathered rock formation; a dark, tranquil body of water below; and a pair of submerged hands reaching toward one another beneath the surface.
The image/work dates to 1972. The printing date of this particular 8 x 10 photograph is not known, and the listing does not represent that this individual sheet was necessarily printed in 1972.
Details
Artist: Jerry N. Uelsmann (American, 1934–2022)
Title: Untitled / specific title not presently established ("Hands" as identified by the Harn Museum)
Image date: 1972
Printing date: Unknown
Medium: Gelatin silver photograph
Dimensions: Approximately 8 x 10 inches overall
Orientation: Portrait
Framing: Unframed
Verso
The verso bears a black Jerry N. Uelsmann / Department of Art / University of Florida / Gainesville, Florida stamp.
Also present are:
Blank white adhesive label approximately 1 x 3 inches
Small red marking near the lower-left area of the verso
Other minor marks/characteristics visible in the photographs
Please examine the detailed photographs of the verso for the precise appearance and placement of all stamps, labels and markings.
Provenance
Personal gift from Jerry N. Uelsmann to Professor Neal White.
This photograph comes from a group of Uelsmann photographs personally given to Professor White.
Jerry Uelsmann was a pioneering figure in twentieth-century American photography, internationally recognized for creating complex surreal compositions through traditional darkroom techniques. Rather than relying on digital manipulation, Uelsmann combined imagery from multiple negatives during the printing process to create seamless, dreamlike photographs.
This 1972 composition is a particularly evocative example of his visual language, combining rock, clouds, water and disembodied human hands into an image that moves between landscape and psychological metaphor.
The photographs in this listing show the actual photograph being offered and form an important part of the description.
No conventional full artist signature, edition number, or handwritten printing date is visible on this sheet. No certificate of authenticity accompanies the photograph.
The image is identified as a 1972 Uelsmann composition; the date on the work should not be interpreted as a representation that this particular 8 x 10 sheet was printed in 1972.
