Abbott, an American photographer, spent most of his career depicting the cultures and landscapes of Mexico and Guatemala. His work ranged from documentary depictions of the cultures of Central America to abstract, close-up shots of the fauna, transforming the landscape into something strange and exciting. This image combines these two styles. Though it does not have the socially conscious bent of documentary realism, it still feels unaltered, like a landscape photograph for the clouds. At the same time, the clouds evoke an ethereal, metaphoric mood, in line with the sculptural precision that Weston averred. It’s also an exciting celebration of a new technology, flight, and it intimates subtly the potential impact of this invention on humanity, that it will not just change the way we move, but the way we see.

David Kuhio Ahia, PO ’18
Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Intern

In pencil on verso: "Scripps College Ph10
Gordon C. Abbott
Never Never Land"

Black and white photograph (bromide print) with front mat attached (with tape)

This object has the following keywords:

• Celestial Bodies

This object is a member of the following portfolios: