Nat Ward – DITCH: MONTAUK, NY 11954

Review by Janesa Brosnan •

“All the world is a beach, and all the men and women merely players in the sand” – Rufus Wainwright and Jörn Weisbrodt, Introduction

As a Southern Californian, I have always had memories of playing in the sand and cold water of the Pacific. The beaches that line the Western Coast have been an integral part of California culture. The sunny southern beaches represent industry, recreation, and a California attitude.

But I’d never thought about the East Coast’s tie to the water and their ocean coastline, specifically New York. The two coasts are so different from one another. I’d never heard beach songs about New York Girls or the people making trips to experience the state’s waves. I usually thought about New York through a fake movie lens instead of learning about the stories from those who call it home.

Nat Ward’s photography opened me up to the experiences of real East Coasters and their relationship to their seaside. His work is natural, displaying the refuge from busy life found in the sand. His black and white photographs show a raw state of being. As Ward says in his foreword, Montauk is known as “The End”, where all come together to share company and join in an unfiltered state.

Contrasting to California’s beach culture where the modern age has taken over with the need for good Instagram photos and un-candidness, Ward captures most people without their phones, being in the moment without the thought of judgment. There are images of kids buried in sand, adults fully baked in the sun without a care, even a dog sitting, smelling the sea. The photographs tell a story of embracing life, fun, and youth.

Montauk being one of the most popular destinations on the East Coast is clear. The large number of umbrellas in the photographs demonstrates their popularity. It also displays the relationship between the visitors and the beach. A lot of my beach trips have been spontaneous, getting ready in minutes, bringing just sunscreen and a towel, let alone an umbrella. Whether the beach community sets these umbrellas up or the visitors bring these, it shows how important that the full day of sun be used and appreciated. Ward captures these nuances in his photography and how they relate to the beach culture of the East Coast.

What I appreciated was the timelessness of Ward’s photographs. Without the modern brand names on beach chairs or bags in a few of the photos, any of the photographs could be from any decade. The attitude of the people in these photos express the constant allure of beaches. No matter East or West, Ward’s work captures this forever feeling of freedom and rest that gravitates people towards an ocean beach.

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Nat Ward was previously featured in the PhotoBook Journal for his 2020 book Big Throat.

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Guest Editor, Janesa Brosnan, is a writer and student at San Diego State University.

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DITCH: MONTAUK, NY 11954, Nat Ward

Photographer: Nat Ward (born Philadelphia, lives in Queens, New York City)

Essays by Rufus Wainwright, Jorn Weisbrodt,

Nat Ward, and Wayne Koestenbaum

Language: English

Hardcover; 49 black and white plates, 112 pages, offset, 11 in x 8.5 in, ISBN: 9781648231018

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