1945
(American, 1911–1993)
Gelatin silver print
Image: 19.4 x 24.6 cm (7 5/8 x 9 11/16 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1986.32
© The Brett Weston Archive
The army reassigned Weston from New York to a fort near El Paso, Texas, in 1945. On the cross-country drive, he encountered the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, the world’s largest area of white gypsum sand dunes. The glistening, pale sand formed an enticingly minimalist backdrop for the cacti and grasses that survived in this harsh desert climate. Weston spent his free time during his remaining year in the service photographing there, and continued shooting the dunes after his discharge.
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