Seduction, from the Phantom Limb series

Date1986

Maker Lynn Hershman Leeson American, born 1941

Label TextThroughout her productive career, Leeson has been interested in the representation of women, especially the fabrications of feminine allure in the media. These two photographs are part of a larger series-called the "phantom limb" series- in which female body parts are replaced or encased by cameras, monitors, or other mediating technology. Leeson described the series as the "absorbtion of female identity into media and technologies" but they are equally concnered with the power of media visualization and how they create benchmarks and stereotypes that affect the perception of our bodies, our psychology, and sense of self.

Object number95.78

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Paranoid Mirror: Lynn Hershman, Aug. 10 - Dec. 10, 1995. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Mechanical Bride, Mar. 8, 2014 - Aug. 10, 2014. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Pop Departures. Oct. 9, 2014 - Jan. 11, 2015. Text by Catharina Manchanda, et al. No cat. no., p. 101, not reproduced.

Credit LineGift of Patterson Sims and Katy Homans

Dimensions20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)

MediumGelatin Silver Print