[Frames from "Emak Bakia"]

Man Ray

1927 · Gelatin silver print · Photographs

These five snippets of Man Ray's film Emak Bakia (Basque for "leave me in peace") can be read up, down, or across. Thus time can move forward or backward in a linear fashion or progress simultaneously. Note what occurs in the second strip if we read from top to bottom: As Kiki closes her eyes, another pair of eyes, painted on her lids, opens.

Artist

Man Ray

Date

1927

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987