Getty Museum
Photo-Transformation, December 17, 1973
Creator
Lucas SamarasAmerican Photographer · 1936–2024
All works by this person →Lucas Samaras was already known as a sculptor, painter, and performance artist when he began experimenting with photography. In his early work, which includes multi-media assemblages, he often included images of himself. The persistent use of himself as a subject has led one critic to remark that "Samaras's almost obsessional self-observation extends past narcissism toward a physical understanding
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- December 17, 1973
- Medium
- Polaroid SX-70 dye diffusion print
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Photographs
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Though cut off at the edge of the composition, Lucas Samaras's forearm is perfectly centered over the obscure silhouette of his upper body in this self-portrait, As if the artist-subject was trying to say, "Don't look at me!" Samaras denies the viewers the ability to familiarize themselves with his facial features and instead emphasizes his highly detailed hand, a vital tool for making art. Thus his hand takes the place of his face and becomes a symbol of himself. Samaras repeatedly focused attention on himself in his Photo-Transformations series. He often extensively altered these Polaroid self-portraits by manipulating the surface emulsions while they were fresh from the camera and still malleable.
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