Self-Portrait Possibly 1929 - 1978

Ralph Steiner made this gelatin silver print, Self-Portrait, sometime in the early to mid 20th century. I can imagine Steiner with his camera in his hands, like a shield or a talisman. He’s standing in front of an advertisement of a suave, yet slightly ruined, man. The billboard is in the background and has a rip running through it. This torn poster behind him reminds me of a canvas that’s been overworked, scraped back, and repainted. Maybe Steiner thought it was a kind of readymade abstract expressionist painting! The real action of this photo for me is between the solidity of the camera and the transience of the ripped poster. He’s holding onto that box like it's everything. As artists, we are all holding onto something, trying to make sense of the world in our own way.