Une Ampoule, 1970

Peter Klasen’s edition Ampoule (1970) juxtaposes a photographic image of a woman’s face with the image of an electric light bulb, framed by stark red geometric forms. The lower part of the composition presents the face as if reflected in a round mirror, while the light bulb above is isolated against a white ground. The combination of the human figure, everyday object and sharply defined graphic elements creates a striking contrast between the organic and the industrial.
The work exemplifies Klasen’s binary compositions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which fragments of the human body are placed in opposition to objects associated with the modern technological and industrial environment. By presenting the face and light bulb as enlarged, isolated images, Klasen transforms familiar elements into enigmatic signs and explores the tension between the human body and the increasingly standardized world of modern life.