Description
Here, a self-portrait of Fichter gives the impression of a body pushed against a surface, reflecting the process behind the work’s creation. Named for the artist Man Ray (1890–1976), the rayogram is produced by placing objects directly on light-sensitive material, which is then exposed to light.
Overlaid by a tank, the flattened figure may evoke a war captive or interrogee pressed against a wall. This work was created the year after the 1970 Kent State shootings, during a period of protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The tank pictured was used in World War I, but its symbolism speaks to Fichter’s historical context.