Phillip Leonian © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Waterworks is a series made using Polaroid emulsion lifts. Created in the 1970s, Phillip Leonian photographed the bodies of friends, family, and peers in sections using Polaroid film. Phil would then carefully removed the image from its frame, dissolved the binder, and floated the emulsion off its backing. These translucent image fragments were then either assembled onto a single sheet by matching and overlapping the pieces to form full-length, composite portraits, or adhered individually to photo paper as exaggerated headshots, creating caricatures. 

Edith Leonian © 1976 Phillip Leonian

John Durniak, Executive Editor, Popular Photography magazine © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Phillip Leonian © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Bill Pierce, Photographer © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Shelley Rice, Photo Critic © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Glenn Zeitler © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Milton Oleaga © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Jacki Apple, Artist © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Marjorie Neikrug, Gallerist © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Lee Witkin, Gallerist © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Walter Hoyne © 1976 Phillip Leonian

Jacob Deschin, NYT Camera Editor © 1976 Phillip Leonian