Gyorgy Kepes (American/Hungarian, 1906-2001). Juliet's Shadow (Caged), 1939. Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed...

Description

Gyorgy Kepes (American/Hungarian, 1906-2001)
Juliet's Shadow (Caged), 1939
Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed circa 1976
8-1/2 x 6-3/4 inches (21.6 x 17.1 cm) (image)
10 x 8 inches (sheet)
Signed in pencil, verso.

György Kepes melds artistic intuition with scientific understanding and technical experimentation. His innovative approaches to photography, such as lensless imaging and direct light manipulation, position him as a trailblazer.

Kepes became interested in photograms at the Berlin studio of Hungarian artist and modernist photographer László Moholy-Nagy in the late 1920s. He placed everyday objects directly on photosensitive paper to craft images without a camera. This method yields compositions filled with intriguing shadows, reflections, and other optical effects.

Kepes also experimented with prisms to manipulate light, achieving a level of sophistication akin to his contemporary, Man Ray. These experiments reflect Kepes' broader engagement with the physics of light, which he continued to develop during his tenure at MIT from 1946 to 1974?.

We are pleased to feature several works by Kepes in this sale including his most famous image, Juliet's Shadow (Caged). The artist's wife appears within a three-dimensional frame. Shadows from the frame grace her face; her face casts a shadow onto the backdrop. Her hair contrasts sharply against the geometric contours. This image is both intimate and architectural.


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