Wynn Bullock
American, 1902–1975
Wynn Bullock was a photographer whose unique and mysterious images are charged with a philosophical and psychological depth that reflected his lifelong search for the meaning of life. Inspired by the work of Man Ray and Lázsló Moholy-Nagy, Bullock’s early work involved experimentation with alternative processes such as Solarization, but an encounter with Edward Weston in 1948 set him on a new path and he would spend the following decades creating the body of work for which he is best remembered. Immersing himself in the natural world, the landscapes, seascapes, and nudes he produced during this period are characterized by their realism and tonal beauty. But the inclusion of human figures in often ambiguous poses in images such as Child on Forest Road (1958) or Woman on Dunes (1972) imbues them with a profound metaphorical depth, evoking inescapable ideas of passing time, mortality, and man’s relationship with nature.


