Artwork
Studies in Perception I
Studies in Perception I is a print by Leon Harmon. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This print started as a joke. In 1967 Leon Harmon turned a dancer’s photo into symbols, blew it up 12 feet wide, and hung it in a lab office.
It went viral after a press event in Robert Rauschenberg’s loft and landed on the New York Times front page.
The 1997 version here is a smaller, later print you can see at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
Overview
Studies in Perception I is a print work originating from a 1967 experiment by Leon Harmon and Ken Knowlton, who converted a greyscale photograph into symbols, resulting in a large-scale print initially displayed as a prank.
Subject & Meaning
The subject of the work is choreographer Deborah Hay, whose photographed image was transformed into a symbolic representation, exploring the intersection of technology and human perception.
Technique & Style
The piece was created by scanning a photograph and converting greyscale values into symbols, characteristic of early computer-generated art, with this 1997 version being a smaller, limited edition print.
History & Provenance
Originally a 12-foot wide prank at Bell Labs, it gained fame after being showcased in Robert Rauschenberg's loft and featured in the New York Times (October 11, 1967). A smaller version was exhibited at MoMA's 'The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age' in 1968. This 1997 edition is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Leon Harmon created Studies in Perception I, a 1997 print that plays with how our eyes and brains interpret shapes and colors.
