this is [not] a photograph
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ADAM FUSS
b. 1961 London, England

Adam Fuss works with one of the oldest and simplest of all photographic techniques, the photogram, in which an object is placed on light-sensitive paper and exposed to light. Employing organic and raw materials, including entrails, plants, flowers, small animals, live snakes and babies, together with pendulums, smoke and lace, Fuss focuses on contemporary themes, creating a language of beauty and precision. What is recorded in his works is a moment of life: a snake swimming through water, or a baby discovering his world. The work, Mary, is part of a cow's liver, transformed into a colorful abstraction. "In their simplicity," according to the artist, "photograms give the alphabet unfamiliar letters. What is seen has never been in a camera. Life itself is the image."

The artist's interest in photography began when he was 15 years old. After completing high school, Fuss moved to Australia, where he worked in photo studios and completed classes with Graham McCarter. In 1982, the artist moved to Brooklyn and worked as a commercial photographer. He was given his first one-man show at Massimo Audiello Gallery in 1985. Fuss currently lives and works in New York City.

Artwork from top to bottom:

Mary, 1996
unique Cibachrome photogram

Untitled, 1998
unique cibachrome photogram

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