Photograph, colour, on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/tim-head-1259" aria-label="More by Tim Head" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Tim Head</a>
Ambidextrous
Purchased 1982
body
clothing and personal items
emotions, concepts and ideas
formal qualities
hand
hand mirror
objects
people
photographic
visual illusion
<p>Tim Head first came to prominence in the early 1970s with a series of ground-breaking installations and conceptual photographs. This is from a group of six photographic works which play on mirror-image illusions to create paradoxes and question how we view ‘reality’. In <span>Ambidextrous </span>the mirror held by a right hand reflects an identical mirror held by a left hand, provoking questions over perception and deceit. Head believed that the accessibility of photography strengthens its ability to actas a portal for examination of society and the man-made environment.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2016</em></p>
paper print photograph colour
23 January 2015 – 11 December 2016
2016-12-11
23 January 2015 – 11 December 2016
2016-12-11
2015-01-23
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2015-01-23
Galleries 45, 46 & 51
Collection based display
Ambidextrous
image: 240 × 240 mm
Purchased 1982
<div class="text">
<p>Tim Head first came to prominence in the early 1970s with a series of ground-breaking installations and conceptual photographs. This is from a group of six photographic works which play on mirror-image illusions to create paradoxes and question how we view ‘reality’. In <i>Ambidextrous </i>the mirror held by a right hand reflects an identical mirror held by a left hand, provoking questions over perception and deceit. Head believed that the accessibility of photography strengthens its ability to act<br/>as a portal for examination of society and the man-made environment.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2016-09-06T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>P07616</b> AMBIDEXTROUS 1973
<br/>
<br/>Inscribed ‘1974’ and ‘Ambidextrous’ and ‘ed.8’
<br/>Photograph, printed by Michael Dyer Associates and published by the artist and Anthony Stokes, 9 1/4×9 3/8 (24×24)
<br/>Purchased from Anthony Stokes (Grant-in-Aid) 1982
<br/>
<br/><a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/photograph" title="Glossary definition for 'Photograph'"><span>Photography</span></a> for both [<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/head-ambidextrous-p07616" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P07616</span></a> and <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/head-black-light-p07615" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P07615</span></a>] was by the artist with Chris Davies; they were printed by Michael Dyer Associates and mounted by the artist. Both are from a group of six black and white photographic works made in 1973–4 in which plays upon mirror-image illusions, paradoxes and reversals are used to test ‘reality’.
<br/>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>The Tate Gallery 1980-82: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions, London 1984
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-13T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
body clothing and personal items emotions, concepts and ideas formal qualities hand hand mirror objects people photographic visual illusion