Details

Title

16.02.20 #8 Elise + Stacy, Santa Cruz, CA, from the Surfland series

Artist/Maker

Joni Sternbach (American, born 1953)

Date

2016

Medium

Tintype

Dimensions

11 × 14 inches

Credit

Gift of the artist

Accession #

2020.175

On View

Currently not on view

In Joni Sternbach’s Surfland series, what began as an attempt to capture the movement of waves became a documentation of surf culture. She was especially drawn to women surfers, such as the couple here, who run counter to masculine stereotypes around surfing. To make this photo, Sternbach employed the tintype process, which requires pouring chemicals onto a metal plate and then exposing and developing it on the spot, the perfect complement to her chosen subject matter. The swirling liquid chemicals echo the movement of the waves and the interplay between surfers and the water.

Image Copyright

© Joni Sternbach.