Squeeze Me, 1972
Unique Composite
9 vintage solarized gelatin silver prints
Mounted on Archival Arches Paper in 1990
Framed 24.75 x 32 x 2 in
Signed, dated and titled on recto in pencil
Feb 14, 2022
This is a fine example of the body of work that Ray Metzker called his "Composites"—multiple image works that remain his most highly regarded accomplishment. The prints are solarized, meaning they were exposed to light while in the developing bath, reversing light and dark areas to various degrees. Solarization is virtually impossible to control, a fact that this work celebrates, offering nine distinct interpretations of a single grapefruit. The titular instruction to "Squeeze Me" makes it clear that a playful and intimate spirit is at the heart of things. An artwork not unlike a Valentine.
