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PEPPER NO. 30

Edward Weston

American, 1886 - 1958

PEPPER NO. 30, 1930

Gelatin silver print

Edward Weston was a major figure in American Modernism and photography, creating landscapes, still lifes, and figurative images that display technical mastery of the photographic medium while pushing simple compositions towards abstraction.

Over four days in August of 1930, Weston photographed several green peppers, using a metal bowl as a background. The curved surface not only provided an ambiguous backdrop, but its curves added depth to Weston's already rich composition. The Peppers would become a signature body of work for the artist, becoming some of the most iconic American photographs of all time. This specific photograph, Pepper No. 30 is widely considered to be the pinnacle of the series. Weston's ability to capture shadow and light transforms a humble pepper into something resembling the human form, and an object of unique beauty.

Absolutely fucking gorgeous. Wow.