2014.6
Distortion #24
Artist
André Kertész
(Hungary, 1894 - 1985, New York City, New York)
Title
Distortion #24
Creation Date
ca. 1933
Century
early 20th century
Dimensions
8 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (21.27 x 16.83 cm)
Classification
Photographs
Creation Place
Eastern Europe, Hungary
Medium and Support
gelatin silver print on paper
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Gridley W. Tarbell II Fund and Art Collections Purchase Fund
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2014.6
In 1933 André Kertész was commissioned to create a series of nudes for a bawdy magazine. He photographed two models in various poses in front of a “fun house” mirror, cropping many images in the series so that only the distorted reflection can be seen. In Distortion #24, however, the mirror is visible, revealing the source of the deformed image. Kertész was already a successful photographer in his native Hungary when he moved to Paris in 1925, befriending the extensive community of artists there. The Distortion series testifies to his engagement with ideas circulating among the surrealists and other avant-garde groups.