In Glasses, 1924, Tina Modotti (1896-1942) utilizes repetition, transparency, and reflection to transform an ordinary subject into a complete abstraction. Created by superimposing an image of six wine glasses onto itself, the present lot is a rare photomontage by Modotti. In this way, Modotti aligns herself with the Modernist drive to obscure photography as a realistic medium, exploring how the camera can reveal new structures and textures though its lens. Yet, unlike the formal still-lifes of her contemporaries like Edward Weston or Paul Strand, Modotti’s subjects are never divorced from context. A utilitarian water glass belonged to everyday life in Mexico, where she lived and worked during the 1920s. By orchestrating a rhythmic composition from everyday drinkware, Modotti echoes her political commitment to instilling pride in daily labor and elevating the material culture of the working class, thus grounding the avant-garde in social reality.