Dead Fish, Salton Sea, California

1983, printed 1997

Richard Misrach

Associated Names
Richard Misrach

Artist, American, born 1949

The image shows a calm, vast body of water reflecting a soft sky. A concrete slab with worn edges floats on the water, accompanied by pieces of submerged wood. More wooden remnants are scattered in the distance, leading to distant land intersecting the horizon. The color palette is dominated by blues, grays, and browns, creating a quiet visual experience. The scene emphasizes tranquility and stillness with its smooth water surface and soft sky, lacking dynamic brushstrokes.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    chromogenic print

  • Credit Line

    Anonymous Gift

  • Dimensions

    image: 70.7 × 88.3 cm (27 13/16 × 34 3/4 in.)
    mat: 96.52 × 111.76 cm (38 × 44 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1998.91.5

  • Series Title

    Desert Cantos III: The Flood

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Anonymous gift to NGA, 1998.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2009

  • In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes Before the Digital Age, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2009 - 2010, unnumbered catalogue.

Inscriptions

signed by artist, lower left in black ink: DEAD FISH, SALTON SEA; signed by artist, lower center in black ink: 5/10; signed by artist, lower right in black ink: © Richard Misrach 1983/1997F.

Wikidata ID

Q64159024

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