These early prints of Self Portrait, Westport, Connecticut, 1968 (lot 93) and Galax, Virginia, 1962 (lot 94) showcase the hallmarks of Lee Friedlander’s prolific photographic oeuvre. While working as a freelance photographer at the start of his career, Friedlander’s shadow would inevitability fall within the frame of the picture he was about to shoot. Thus a typical accident in photography turned into his art. In Self Portrait, Westport, Connecticut, he skilfully layers his shadow and reflection over the store window advertisement; both photographer and model mirror one another while holding their cameras, providing a rich and playful execution of the artist’s self portrait.

Friedlander’s iconic Galax, Virginia depicts his interest in the American social landscape. He presents an unembellished interior that captures a human subject through the small frame of the television – emphasising the proliferation of televisions in 1960s America. In both of these classic Friedlander images, his photographic wit and sensibility are unwavering.