Title

Unidentified Man, Otani Hotel, Los Angeles

Description

In 1980, conceptual artist Sarah Charlesworth mounted a perturbing series of large-scale photographs of men and women (some identified, others left anonymous) falling from buildings. She found the images in international newspapers, then enlarged the typically grainy reproductions to human scale, forcing viewers to confront the final works body to body. Charlesworth intended the photographs to cultivate a sense of empathy for her subjects, caught in the seconds, perhaps, before death, though we cannot know for certain whether the images record tragic events or stunts staged for the camera. The ambiguity inherent in these images renders these works a reflection on photography itself. Captured at a decisive moment given the seeming velocity of the body’s descent, this photograph stills the fall altogether, refusing us necessary context and rendering the inevitable crash to the ground elusive. Despite the limitations imposed on our ability to interpret the narrative of these images, they exert incredible emotional power.

Creator

Charlesworth, Sarah

Date

1980

Type

photomural

Medium

black-and-white prints (photographs)

Subject

newspapers

Anonymous persons

unidentified (information indicator)

Source

collection description

Extent

72.75 x 37.5 inches

place of repository

Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin OH

Identifier

1983.41

Is Part Of

Stills
...are black and white enlargements made from torn press photos of people in mid-air. The images show people who have jumped or fallen from buildings or structures. Whether they are trying to commit suicide or jumping from burning buildings to save their lives, neither the intention nor the outcome of the jump is apparent.

artist's website