No
1992
Color photograph
96.5 x 76.2 cm (38 x 30 in.)
Staring into space, arms folded, the artist seems to be posing, wearily waiting to be photographed. Upon closer observation, the shiny skin and frozen expression reveal that this is actually a hyperrealist wax statue. Charles Ray took the photograph, making No an image of an image.
Since the early 1970s, he has used his own body as material. Best known for his familiar-looking yet strange monochrome sculptures, the American artist also uses photography to breathe a subtle dose of unreality into the viewer's perception. His penchant for smooth, disembodied figures, mises en abyme and concealment of the efforts required to produce the work can be seen in No.
No, a photograph in the Pinault Collection, was shown for the first time during the 2009 exhibition "Mapping the Studio" at the Palazzo Grassi.
Since the early 1970s, he has used his own body as material. Best known for his familiar-looking yet strange monochrome sculptures, the American artist also uses photography to breathe a subtle dose of unreality into the viewer's perception. His penchant for smooth, disembodied figures, mises en abyme and concealment of the efforts required to produce the work can be seen in No.
No, a photograph in the Pinault Collection, was shown for the first time during the 2009 exhibition "Mapping the Studio" at the Palazzo Grassi.
Exhibitions
Photo by Pedrini, Photography, Zurich
© Charles Ray Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
