A la Man Ray
I was struck by Man Ray’s picture Le Violin D’Ingres, 1924, while studying photography in the mid-eighties. My family comes from generations of bridge makers, different uncles were either violin or guitar makers. While I was working as an apprentice of making bows for string instruments. So seeing this naked woman’s back in the shape of a violin with the F-Holes retouched in, left me very surprised and excited about life and photography. Chris Dercon asked me to make a piece of work inspired by Man Ray’s images. So here is the picture: there is my girlfriend Dovile and my Dad’s carvings: a bass bridge, a black mask and an elephant, also a ping-pong table and some dead lilies.
Mr Juergen Teller, Photographer and Artist
