Conceptual artist Douglas Huebler began “Variable Piece no. 70,” his all-encompassing work in progress, in 1971. His stated intention was to “photographically document, to the extent of his capacity, the existence of everyone alive in order to produce the most authentic and inclusive representation of the human species that may be assembled in that manner.”

The recent phototext series “Crocodile Tears,” 1985, is part of this broader proposal; it is a wry and often very witty attempt to evaluate contemporary human existence by focusing on clichéd behavior patterns, cultural ideologies, and the