Two Explanations for a Small Split Pond

Robert Cumming has long been known for his conceptual photography, which often relies on the tension between reality and the perception of reality. Cumming’s art presents succinct, humorous reminders about what can be understood from a photograph. For example, in Two Explanations for a Small Split Pond, Cumming juxtaposes two pictures that offer different possible causes for the split pond they depict. In the first, the pond has been split down the middle by the addition of earth to the water. In the second, two distinct ponds have been created by splitting a bucket of water in half.