Abstract

This paper examines Paul Strand’s “Swastika (a.k.a. Hitlerism)” through Robert Orsi’s concept of the holy, exploring how the swastika’s sacred origins contrast with its appropriation as a Nazi symbol. Strand’s depiction of a skeletal Christ on an inverted swastika invites reflection on the limits of reducing sacred symbols to historical associations. Drawing on Orsi’s view that the holy transcends social and historical categories, I explore how the swastika, viewed through a sacred lens, retains complex meanings beyond its Nazi connotations. Comparing Strand’s work to Robert Moskowitz’s “Untitled” calls for a broader understanding of the sacred as resisting simple categorization.