Swimmers | Larry Sultan
© Larry Sultan
Written by Max Weiner
“Swimming” is a loaded word. It brings up certain motifs and emotions, and in just two syllables you can be transported to another time and place, just like that. Such potential is ripe for artists, especially photographers. With the lens of their camera, they have the capability to take us from cold winter days to the aqua blue serenity we crave year-round. Luckily, Larry Sultan and his phenomenal book Swimmers does just that. His tremendous capturing of swimmers - those in training, to be specific - has all the makings of a nostalgic journey: the lights, the characters, the mood, etc. You feel as though you’re looking through a family photo album; Sultan’s work feels oh so familiar. Sultan, who at the time was mainly known for more conceptual work, decided to return to his roots as a photographer. He found himself in San Francisco - a cultural epicenter unto itself - and for the next four years captured its working-class residents in public pools. His muse is perhaps one of the more unorthodox of his contemporaries; he drew inspiration from the Red Cross swimmer’s manual. Instead of sticking with black and white, as we see, Sultan let the natural colors of his surroundings splash onto the page and resonate deep within our souls.
© Larry Sultan
Very rarely do we see human beings in such a vulnerable state, but in the bliss of the pool’s underbelly, Sultan shows us the sheer joy of life. His photographs are so carefree and sublime, with no outside worries shown through his work. Each subject waddles and wades around with the mind of a child, whether they are or aren’t; many of his subjects are adults. Sultan’s cherubic curiosity is perhaps why the book resonates so deeply within us. By showing us these individuals, we are brought back to the times of our own lives with the utmost clarity. Family outings, vacations, summer camp: we can feel our own soulful memories through his images, and with each flip of a page comes a new spark within our brains. They serve as portals into our own psyches, and our minds become pools of their own. We swim in the nostalgia of Sultan’s imagery.
© Larry Sultan
© Larry Sultan
Sultan’s images - regardless of contextual evidence - have an important place in the zeitgeist of modern society. He has a truly uncanny ability to capture the world, especially the people who remain so deeply ingrained in their own moment. It’s a common trope, especially amongst older generations, that the distractions of the modern world have completely hindered our ability to genuinely enjoy things as a society, and a book like this reminds us just how important it is to be living in the now. We all can return to our phones. If we enjoy our time spent with one another as is, perhaps our cherishment of others would be richer and deeper. Just something to swim around in.
