Ann Hamilton (born 1956) Untitled (from 'body object'), 1984-89 8 gelatin silver prints; each signed, dated, and annotated 'untitled body/object series' in pencil on the reverse, framed, an L.A. Louver gallery label, with number '1 of 8' through '8 of 8' in ink, on the reverse. 3 images measuring 4 x 4 in. (10.2 x 10.2 cm.) 5 images measuring 6 1/8 x 5 in. (15.6 x 15.6 cm.) the sheets 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm.) Footnotes: Provenance L.A. Louver, Los Angeles Private Collection, Santa Barbara Los Angeles Modern Auctions, 6 May 2012, Lot 184 Acquired from the above by the present owner Literature Linda Forsha and Susan Stewart, Ann Hamilton (La Jolla: San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, 1991), front and back covers, pp. 63, 65, 68 Joan Simon, Ann Hamilton: An Inventory of Objects (New York, 2006), pp. 40, 41, 42, 45, 46 Madeline Schwartzman, See Yourself Sensing: Redefining Human Perception (London, 2011), pp. 16, 18 Note 'In the body object series, Hamilton photographed her body with a range of mundane objects replacing a key body part - a paddle, a door, a shoe. In Untitled (body object series) #5-bushhead, 1984-93, Hamilton's head is replaced by a dense bush. Her bands and legs stand out for their fleshiness in this hybridized form. Though the bush is mute, silent, and un-body-like, somehow the image makes sense. The viewer is left to wonder about the implication. Should the image be taken at face value - as humorous, surreal or disturbing - or should we read into it questions about embodiment and sensation, and attempt to reason out the body's new functionality? It is almost impossible to avoid the latter. Habit prompts us to imagine embodiment in even the most vaguely recognizable human images. We cannot help but wonder about the bush head's muted senses and imagine a scenario where the body moves using touch alone.' - Madeline Schwartzman, See Yourself Sensing: Redefining Human Perception, p. 16 This lot includes the following works from the untitled 'body object' series: #3 - shoe #5 - sagebrush #6 - seed suit #7 - bathtub #13 - toothpick suit/chair #14 - megaphone #15 - honey hat #18 - fish-lure suit (variant) For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing
Description
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32%
Estimate $15,000-$25,000
Starting Price
$12,000
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Sep 28, 2026, 12:00 PM EDTNew York, NY, United States

































