Lessons in Posing Subjects

Despite rarely using a camera during his career, Robert Heinecken (1931–2006) is widely considered one of the most influential post-war American photographers. Describing himself as a “paraphotographer”, Heinecken tirelessly explored the nature of photography and the ideas traditionally associated with it, through a large variety of techniques, including sculpture, video, printmaking and collage.

The exhibition at Friart examines a pivotal period in the artist’s career, during which Heinecken used a Polaroid SX-70 camera. The presentation includes the first examples of works using this medium, starting in the mid-1970s until his most iconic project, the series Lessons in Posing Subjects, dating from 1981-82, and presented here in its entirety.