Not on display

Flood Dream, Ocean City, New Jersey

Photograph
1971
Artist/Maker
Tress, Arthur (artist)
Place of origin
New Jersey

The work of the American photographer Arthur Tress spans photojournalism, surrealism, eroticism, staged and manipulated imagery. His images often combine real and imagined worlds. A retrospective of his work was held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, in 2001. Tress said of his work, 'Photography is my method for defining the confusing world that rushes constantly toward me. It is my defensive attempt to reduce our daily chaos to a set of understandable images. My urge to photograph is activated by an almost biological instinct for self-preservation from disorder.'

Object details

Categories
Photographs
Children & Childhood
Ships
Object type
Photograph
TitleFlood Dream, Ocean City, New Jersey (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Black and white photograph of a boy looking out from the roof of a wooden building, the sea and a ship beyond.
Physical description
Black and white photograph of a boy looking out from the roof of a wooden building, the sea and a ship beyond.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 480mm
  • Image width: 485mm
  • Paper height: 605mm
  • Paper width: 509mm
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed on recto with title, date and artist's signature.
Gallery label
(20-5-2015)
Photo London: Beneath the Surface
Somerset House, 20 May - 24 August, 2015

Arthur Tress (born 1940)
Flood Dream, Ocean City, New Jersey, 1971

In his Dream Collector series, Tress explored the idea of childhood dreams and fears, realising them as haunting staged images. Using the urban wasteland as his playground, the photographer constructed a fantastical narrative transforming dilapidated buildings and desolate places he encountered in the real world.

Gelatin silver print
Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of David Knaus
V&A Museum no. E.577–2001
Credit line
Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of David Knaus
Place depicted
New Jersey
Summary
The work of the American photographer Arthur Tress spans photojournalism, surrealism, eroticism, staged and manipulated imagery. His images often combine real and imagined worlds. A retrospective of his work was held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, in 2001. Tress said of his work, 'Photography is my method for defining the confusing world that rushes constantly toward me. It is my defensive attempt to reduce our daily chaos to a set of understandable images. My urge to photograph is activated by an almost biological instinct for self-preservation from disorder.'
Bibliographic reference
Lorenz, Richard, Arthur Tress : fantastic voyage : photographs 1956-2000, Boston ; London : Little, Brown in association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art, c2001
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.577-2001

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 29, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O499042/flood-dream-ocean-city-new-photograph-tress-arthur/
Download as: JSON