Polar Bear belongs to Sugimoto’s earliest body of work, the Dioramas series. While visiting the American Museum of Natural History, the artist observed that through the camera’s monocular eye, lifeless taxidermy could be rendered seemingly “alive.” By isolating the specimens from their museum context, meticulously manipulating artificial lighting, and tilting the focal plane, Sugimoto effectively “deceives” the viewer’s perception. The artist noted that while these dioramas encapsulate a microcosm of the world, the only element absent is life itself—time stands still, governed by an eternal stillness. By re-documenting this “pseudo-nature,” the series challenges the documentary authority of photography, forcing the viewer to hover between belief and artifice. This work established Sugimoto’s lifelong thematic pursuit: using the camera as a “time machine” to interrogate the essence of history, memory, and existence.

《北极熊》属于杉本博司最早的创作系列《透视画馆》。在参观美国自然历史博物馆时，艺术家发现通过相机的单眼视角捕捉动物标本，能使其产生“栩栩如生”的错觉。他通过剔除博物馆环境、细微调整人工光线以及倾斜对焦平面，成功地“欺骗”了观者的眼睛。杉本博司认为，这些模型中包含了世界缩影，唯独缺席的是生命本身，时间在此陷入永恒的静谧。作品通过对“伪自然”的二次记录，质疑了摄影的纪实属性，让观众游移于真实与虚构的边界。这一系列也奠定了其艺术核心：利用摄影作为“时间机器”，去追问历史、记忆与存在的本质。