Accession Number1992/1.151
TitleSelf-Portrait: Vertical Motion Down, Medium
Artist(s)Blythe BohnenArtist NationalityAmerican (North American)Object Creation Date1974Medium & Supportgelatin silver print on paperDimensions 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)
Credit LineGift of Herbert and Paula MolnarSubject matterThis 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 DescriptionThis photograph is a blurred and distorted portrait of a figure standing against a blank wall.
Primary Object ClassificationPhotographCollection AreaPhotographyRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Portraits
abstraction
blur
bodies (human and animal components)
bust-length
distortion
exposure
gesture
kinetics (dynamics)
modern and contemporary art
performances (creative events)
self-portrait
self-portraits
women (female humans)