Lucas Samaras

(American/Greek, 1936–2024)

Lucas Samaras is a Greek-born American artist known for his mixed-media approach towards identity and image. Samara’s knowledge of sculpture, painting, and performance art informed his iconic series of Polaroids from the 1970s, Photo-Transformation (1973-1976). In the works, he would smear and scratch the wet emulsion of developing Polaroids, mostly self-portraits, to create psychedelic and surreal images. “The thrill was that the camera itself was fantastic,” the artist remarked on photography. “It was up to me to put the camera here, to put it there, put it wherever, and pose. It's almost as if you have yourself and say, ‘okay, do something. Interest me. Excite me,’ and I'm going to excite you with something ridiculous or semi-tragic or humorous.” Born on September 14, 1936 in Kastoria, Greece, Samaras studied art at Rutgers University where he met the artists Allan Kaprow, George Segal, and Roy Lichtenstein. Inspired by the Fluxus movement, Samaras created the groundbreaking work Mirrored Room (1966), which was one of the earliest installations that allowed viewers to become active participants. He went on to study art history at Columbia University under the famous art critic and theorist Meyer Schapiro. Samaras’s works are presently held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others. The artist lives and works in New York, NY.

Lucas Samaras Artworks

Lucas Samaras (530 results)

Untitled (Self-portrait with hands), 1990

Lucas Samaras

Untitled (Self-portrait with hands), 1990

Sale Date: June 21, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne titel (from Photo-transformationen), 1976

Lucas Samaras

Ohne titel (from Photo-transformationen), 1976

Sale Date: June 2, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne titel (from Photo-transformationen), 1976

Lucas Samaras

Ohne titel (from Photo-transformationen), 1976

Sale Date: June 2, 2010

Auction Closed

The spectator (With two mouths), 1984

Lucas Samaras

The spectator (With two mouths), 1984

Sale Date: May 23, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Double target/pins), 1963

Lucas Samaras

Untitled (Double target/pins), 1963

Sale Date: April 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Hook, 1972

Lucas Samaras

Sale Date: March 27, 2010

Auction Closed

Sittings 8 x 10 - 38c, 1979

Lucas Samaras

Sittings 8 x 10 - 38c, 1979

Sale Date: March 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Large still life no.7, 1982

Lucas Samaras

Large still life no.7, 1982

Sale Date: March 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Reclining curvaceous VII, 1981

Lucas Samaras

Reclining curvaceous VII, 1981

Sale Date: March 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1974

Lucas Samaras

Untitled, 1974

Sale Date: March 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Head no.80, 1981

Lucas Samaras

Head no.80, 1981

Sale Date: March 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Photo-transformation 5/30/76 (+ 4 others; 5..., 1976

Lucas Samaras

Photo-transformation 5/30/76 (+ 4 others; 5..., 1976

Sale Date: March 11, 2010

Auction Closed

Reconstruction no.76

Lucas Samaras

Reconstruction no.76

Sale Date: November 10, 2009

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1961

Lucas Samaras

Untitled, 1961

Sale Date: October 17, 2009

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1965

Lucas Samaras

Untitled, 1965

Sale Date: June 30, 2009

Auction Closed

Samaras Album. Autointerview. Autobiography....

Lucas Samaras

Samaras Album. Autointerview. Autobiography....

Sale Date: May 19, 2009

Auction Closed

Wire hanger chair-Trio (various sizes; in 3..., 1989

Lucas Samaras

Wire hanger chair-Trio (various sizes; in 3..., 1989

Sale Date: May 13, 2009

Auction Closed

Photo-transformation 9/15/73, 1973

Lucas Samaras

Photo-transformation 9/15/73, 1973

Sale Date: March 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1974

Lucas Samaras

Untitled, 1974

Sale Date: September 9, 2008

Auction Closed

Photo-transformation, 1973

Lucas Samaras

Photo-transformation, 1973

Sale Date: June 30, 2008

Auction Closed

Hand, 1975

Lucas Samaras

Sale Date: May 21, 2008

Auction Closed

Autopolaroid (set of 12), 1971

Lucas Samaras

Autopolaroid (set of 12), 1971

Sale Date: April 11, 2008

Auction Closed

Head no.179, 1981

Lucas Samaras

Head no.179, 1981

Sale Date: January 14, 2008

Auction Closed

Photo transformation, 1976

Lucas Samaras

Photo transformation, 1976

Sale Date: December 13, 2007

Auction Closed

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