After “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue

Wall

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Jeff Wall’s pictures resemble both paintings and film stills, drawing the viewer into highly specific scenes that imply larger narratives. After “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue represents a well-known scene from Ellison’s classic novel. Wall’s staged version shows us the cellar room, “warm and full of light” in which Ellison’s narrator lives, complete with its 1,369 lightbulbs.

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