Artwork
Colophon page for the edition of 20 prints entitled 'Trust Me'
Colophon page for the edition of 20 prints entitled 'Trust Me' is a print by Elizabeth Marran. It dates from 1992 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
They mix old comic-style science magic tricks with quick, automatic lines.
Elizabeth Marran made a set of 20 prints called *Trust Me* in 1992-1993. They mix old comic-style science magic tricks with quick, automatic lines. She says the mix of title and image sets off little stories in your head.
Some pictures show women in charge scenes. Others feel spooky or funny, like the tricks went wrong.
Her prints ask you to guess what’s happening next. See more at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Elizabeth Marran created a portfolio of twenty prints titled 'Trust Me' between 1992 and 1993. Each print merges vintage comic-book illustrations of science-based magic tricks with spontaneous, gestural drawing. The result is a series that blurs the line between instructional imagery and intuitive mark-making, inviting viewers to interpret ambiguous narratives through visual tension and unexpected juxtapositions.
Subject & Meaning
The prints evoke psychological scenarios by pairing mechanical, diagrammatic sources with fluid, hand-drawn elements. The title 'Trust Me' contrasts with unsettling or ambiguous scenes, suggesting deception, control, or unintended consequences. Several images feature women in positions of authority or agency, subverting traditional gender roles in mid-century illustration. The works function as visual riddles, prompting questions about intent, power, and perception.
Technique & Style
Marran layered found imagery from 1950s science magic manuals with rapid, automatic drawing techniques. The crisp, linear forms of the original illustrations are overlaid with loose, expressive strokes that appear unplanned and instinctive. This hybrid approach creates dissonance between the authoritative tone of the source material and the chaotic energy of the additions, generating a sense of instability and unresolved narrative.
History & Provenance
The portfolio was produced in 1992–1993 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Marran developed the work during a period of renewed interest in appropriation and feminist re-readings of mid-century visual culture. The prints reflect broader artistic practices of the time that questioned authorship, originality, and the legacy of mass-media imagery.
Context
Emerging from a postmodern art climate that embraced collage and appropriation, Marran’s work engages with the visual language of mid-century popular science media. These sources, once used to demystify science for children, are repurposed to evoke unease and ambiguity. The series aligns with feminist critiques of gendered representation and the psychological weight embedded in seemingly innocuous imagery.
Legacy
The 'Trust Me' portfolio remains a quiet but persistent example of how found imagery can be transformed into psychologically charged compositions. Its influence lies in its restraint—offering no clear resolutions, only suggestive fragments. It continues to be referenced in discussions of feminist printmaking and the use of automatic drawing to disrupt authoritative visual narratives.
Artist & collection
Artist
