Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker who played a key role in the development of photography as an artistic medium in the twentieth century. Influenced by modern painting and sculpture, he experimented with abstract compositions, varying contrasts, and geometric patterns—all without manipulation of the camera or development process. Strand later turned to documentary photography, aiming to record objective and realistic images focused on social and political issues. Capturing the human condition in urban contexts, his photographs became subversive alternatives to studio portraits and commercial imagery, poignantly depicting the stark realities of poverty in modern life.

–Daniel Mauro, from the Glenstone Field Guide