Lucas Samaras

American, born Greece, 1936-2024

Pose 0053 (Marla Prather) from the series Poses/Born Actors

Lucas Samaras (American, born Greece, 1936). Pose 0053 (Marla Prather) from the series Poses/Born Actors, 2009. Color inkjet print, edition I/III, 36 x 20 inches (91.4 x 50.8 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Chazan, 2013 (P2013:3.2). © Lucas Samaras

© Lucas Samaras

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

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© Lucas Samaras

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

Pose 0053 (Marla Prather) from the series Poses/Born Actors, 2009

Artwork Details

Materials

color inkjet print

Edition:

I/III

Measurements

sheet: 36 x 20 inches (91.44 x 50.8 cm)

Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Credit

Gift from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Chazan, 2013

Accession ID

P2013:3.2

This photograph is from an extended, ongoing series of portraits Lucas Samaras began making in 1983. The sitters—friends and acquaintances of the artist—include curators, musicians, museum directors, gallery owners, and other artists. Samaras refers to his subjects as “born actors”: people who, in various ways, perform in their everyday lives. He makes them appear unnatural by using dramatic lighting during the photo session and by digitally manipulating the color of the images afterwards.

Label from Lucas Samaras: Reflections, June 21, 2014–January 4, 2015