One of the 20th century’s great artistic tricksters, Sigmar Polke never met a medium he couldn’t befriend. Married to painting, he made photography his mistress and the quiet accomplice to much of his career. In photography he found a haven for exploration and experimentation (think negative manipulation, multiple exposures, deliberate blurring, hand-coloring, layering, and collage.) Now, at Michael Werner Gallery in New York, a rare look at Polke’s darkroom gems gets the spotlight. Expect altered negatives, accidental blurs, hand-colored oddities, and portraits of fellow art-world legends from Gilbert & George to Baselitz. —Carolina de Armas