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British Conceptual artist James Collins (1939-2021) explored the ‘male gaze’ in his works concerning dialogue-as-portrait; the women who appear in his photographs vary, while all the male images are self-portraits of the artist himself. As a review in Art Forum pointed out in 1977, in his ‘watching’ works, Collins created double portraits of male-female encounters that convey a sense of isolation, intimacy, and tension with an erotic charge.

Untitled (Imagining series) 1977
18.5 x 23.8 cm on paper 20 x 25.2 cm
Black and white silver gelatin print

Untitled (Imagining series) 1977
18.5 x 23.8 cm on paper 20 x 25.2 cm
Black and white silver gelatin print

Untitled (Imagining series) 1977
18.5 x 23.8 cm on paper 20 x 25.2 cm
Black and white silver gelatin print

Imagining Yvette 1974

C-Print 51 x 60 cm laid on board with hand-written text 102 x 76 cm
Signed, titled and dated bottom right

Watching Beverly-Ann 1975
77 x 102 cm
C-Print

Untitled c 1982
102 x 76 cm
Collage of 10 C-Prints laid on board

Untitled 1977
19 x 6.5 cm on paper 25.2 x 20.4 cm
Black and white silver gelatin print