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Self-Portrait: Vertical Motion Down, Medium

Blythe Bohnen

Artwork Details

Self-Portrait: Vertical Motion Down, Medium
1974
Blythe Bohnen
gelatin silver print on paper
15 7/8 in x 19 13/16 in (40.3 cm x 50.3 cm);22 1/8 in x 28 3/16 in (56.2 cm x 71.6 cm);16 in x 19 7/8 in (40.7 cm x 50.5 cm);15 1/16 in x 18 7/8 in (38.2 cm x 48 cm)
Gift of Herbert and Paula Molnar
1992/1.151

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Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph is a self portrait. Standing against a blank wall with her shoulders bare, the artist faces the camera, almost in the manner of a passport photo. Her head however, is distorted, blurred and nearly illegible. This is due to a series of movements she performed during the image’s exposure. While the shutter was open, she jumped up and down in place. The traces of these movements were collected and compiled together on the negative, rendering her appearance as nebulous, blurred, and distorted. However, the artist’s eyes remain uncannily clear. They stare expressionlessly into the camera’s lens, two tiny light trails from the reflection off her pupils creating thin vertical lines in space.

Physical Description:

This photograph is a blurred and distorted portrait of a figure standing against a blank wall.

Usage Rights:

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