1980
gelatin silver print with oil
39 1/4 x 29 1/2 inches
Gift of the Lannon Foundation, 1999
An acclaimed experimental photographer, Ellen Carey has been associated with movements like Neo-expressionism, Neo-geo, and appropriation art, yet stands independent from these schools. Carey rejects the traditional idea of photography as literal and narrative, and instead experiments with decorating the body with geometric motifs. Working with a classically composed photograph of the male nude, Carey then overpaints patterns in oil. In the contrast between these two elements, the work emphasizes the split Carey feels between internal and external selves. —Joan Vita Marotta, 2002