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Light Bulb

A work made of gelatin silver print.
© Abelardo Morell, courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

1991

Artist:

Abelardo Morell
American, born Cuba 1948

About this artwork

Abelardo Morell employs the language of photography to produce visual surprise and wonder. To demonstrate the optical principles at work in photography to his students, Morell constructed a homemade camera from a cardboard box open at one end, a lens, and duct tape. Clumsy yet elemental, the contraption stripped the idea of a camera down to its essence. “This picture gave me the feeling that photography is in many ways still raw and unexplored,” Morell explained a few years later. “Making this picture was for me a way to rediscover the mystery of the medium and maybe to share it with others.”

Status

On View, Gallery 1

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Abelardo Morell

Title

Light Bulb

Place

United States (Artist's nationality)

Date

Made 1991

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 45.5 × 57.3 cm (17 15/16 × 22 9/16 in.); paper: 51 × 61 cm (20 1/8 × 24 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Comer Foundation Fund

Reference Number

1994.40

Copyright

© Abelardo Morell, courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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