Security Zone
Vito Acconci
American, 1940–2017
Harry Shunk
German, 1924–2006
János Kender
Hungarian, 1937–2009
1971
A black-and-white gelatin silver photograph that captures two figures at the water’s edge—one blindfolded and being guided by the other—recording a tense, performative moment about vulnerability and control.
The glittering, high-contrast surface of the water snaps against the dark, cinematic silhouettes, where the blindfolded figure’s bowed head and the other person’s bent, pushing posture create a palpable sense of imminent motion and unease.
From the Shunk-Kender archive, this image exemplifies how documentary photography of the late 1960s–70s transformed ephemeral performances into lasting artworks, shaping our memory and interpretation of risky, theatrical gestures in conceptual art.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
6 5/8 × 9 5/8" (16.9 × 24.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in honor of Jennifer Winkworth and Kynaston McShine and in memory of Harry Shunk and János Kender
Accession
1018.2013.3
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
