Two separate photographic images forming one large image; large black-and-white image of three clasped hands at bottom center; smaller color images surrounding image of hands and handwritten notes in predominately white on black; color images include ethnographic and Western works of art, snapshots, and magazine clippings; blue cloth at left edge; green cloth in LLQ; red coffee cup at bottom left of center; turquoise up in URQ; green bottle, LLQ; framed in black frames

%C2%A9 Sara Cwynar

Three Hands, 2016

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The work of Sara Cwynar combines the obsessive materiality of a “hoarder” with the trompe-l’oeil effects of studio photography. Utilizing her vast collection of stock images and everyday items—books, boxes, clothing, dolls, plastic cups, etc.—Cwynar creates arrangements of kitsch objects in the studio that are then rephotographed, reprinted, and scanned to intentionally confuse or complicate a straightforward reading of the image.

In Three Hands (2016), the artist begins with a series of found photographs that reference a multinational business transaction from the 1970s. In an attempt to access the meaning behind the hand gestures and cultural as well as financial exchange being documented, the artist visually maps out a dizzying assortment of found images and objects that span the long arc of world history. The resulting image flattens both space and time in its encyclopedic attempt to unpack a moment that is utterly irretrievable.

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Details
Title
Three Hands
Artist Life
born 1985
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2017.101a,b
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Two separate photographic images forming one large image; large black-and-white image of three clasped hands at bottom center; smaller color images surrounding image of hands and handwritten notes in predominately white on black; color images include ethnographic and Western works of art, snapshots, and magazine clippings; blue cloth at left edge; green cloth in LLQ; red coffee cup at bottom left of center; turquoise up in URQ; green bottle, LLQ; framed in black frames

© Sara Cwynar

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork.