Circumnavigation of the Blood
Artist
Frederick Sommer (American, born Italy, 1905–1999)American, born Italy, 1905–1999
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Circumnavigation of the Blood
Date1950
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 4 1/16 × 5 1/2 in. (10.3 × 14 cm)
Sheet: 4 1/16 × 5 1/2 in. (10.3 × 14 cm)
Mount: 7 1/4 × 9 in. (18.4 × 22.8 cm)
Sheet: 4 1/16 × 5 1/2 in. (10.3 × 14 cm)
Mount: 7 1/4 × 9 in. (18.4 × 22.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of Manfred Heiting, The Manfred Heiting Collection
Object number2002.2321
Non exposé
Explore Further
Department
PhotographySpecial Collections
Object Type
An artist deeply interested in painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, and poetry in addition to photography, Frederick Sommer often blurred the boundaries between media. While a work such as this might at first appear to be a lucky discovery, Sommer purposefully collaged bits of found printed matter to create surreal images. His frequent addition of enigmatic and poetic titles, as with this work, further evokes the unconscious and adds to suggestion that the viewer should search for hidden meaning, an endeavor as futile as the interpretation of dreams.
ProvenanceArtist, Prescott; ex-collection Michael Mattis, Scarsdale.
Bought by Manfred Heiting from Michael Mattis Collection on 1/5/1990.
Exhibition History"Photography of the Fifties", Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, 1980; "Venus, Jupiter & Mars - The Photographs of Frederick Sommer", Delaware Art Museum, 1980;
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed in pencil verso of mount upper left: "Circumnavigation of the Blood"; center right: "Frederick Sommer 1950".
Possible signature in pencil, verso of mount: "Frederick Sommer 1950"
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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