Jimmy See, Angola, Louisiana 24 - 1999

Deborah Luster made "Jimmy See, Angola, Louisiana" without a known date using the tintype process. Look at the surface, it's all about the material! There’s a cool, almost melancholy feel. The tones are muted, sepia-tinged, like an old memory. The surface texture alone invites you to lean in, to get close and personal. The blacks are solid, dense, while the lighter areas almost glow. The image has a directness that reminds me of August Sander’s portraits. There is a beautiful and humble quality to the image, of a person creating, and of a life lived with care. It’s almost like a snapshot rescued from oblivion. The tintype process gives a sense of timelessness, like a story being told over and over.