Abstract Recomposition

"There is no unemployed force in Nature. All decomposition is recomposition." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

While man's impact on the environment is a much discussed and much photographed subject, I was interested in exploring the converse of that idea; that is, the effect of natural forces on man-made objects. Visiting boatyards in the San Francisco Bay Area, I saw first-hand the corrosive effects of wind, salt, and spray on the painted surfaces of sailing and fishing boats. These images illustrate the artistic character of Nature's various "recompositions" of the boats'í exterior surfaces. Although they now bear the deteriorating effects of continued exposure to the elements, the boats' time-worn surfaces seem to have a more intriguing beauty than when they were newly-painted.

- Jill Spencer

---

Click on any image to enlarge or order. Click on enlarged image to return here.