8 x 10 Sitting
Lucas Samaras
American, born Greece. 1936–2024
January 17, 1980
A color instant (Polacolor II) photograph in which the artist stages a theatrical, self-reflexive scene to probe identity, perception, and the made nature of a photographed portrait.
What strikes you first is the checkered floor and backdrop folding around a seated figure, lit by harsh colored gels and lamps so that skin reads as surreal bands of green and red amid a cluttered studio mise-en-scène.
Part of the artist’s pioneering Polaroid work, this piece helped repurpose instant photography from casual snapshot to a performative, object-like medium that challenged traditional portraiture and highlighted photography’s material and staged qualities.
Medium
Color instant print (Polacolor II)
Dimensions
9 1/2 × 7 1/2" (24.1 × 19 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Robert and Gayle Greenhill
Accession
83.1992
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
