Studies for Holograms (b) 1970

Bruce Nauman made this print, titled "Studies for Holograms (b)," using a photographic screenprinting process. It’s not exactly what you'd call a traditional art material, and that’s the point. Look at how the sharp, almost clinical photographic image is overlaid with that bright yellow. The color saturates the skin, transforming the human face into something almost alien. The screenprinting process flattens the image, emphasizing its graphic quality. The artist's hand becomes a crude and direct tool, pushing ink through a screen to create a visual statement. Nauman is known for his interest in the body, and this print is a study for a hologram, a technology that was relatively new at the time. It prompts questions about how we perceive ourselves, and the degree to which an image can be manipulated, replicated, and consumed. By using these techniques, Nauman challenges traditional artistic values and invites us to consider the relationship between the human body and the technologies that mediate our understanding of it.