Institute for Blind Children, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1995

Editor: We're looking at Melanie Eve Barocas's gelatin silver print, "Institute for Blind Children, Port-au-Prince, Haiti" from 1995. The black and white image has a stillness about it, the repeating balustrades lead the eye into the distance, creating a strong linear composition. What do you make of it? Curator: Note the strategic deployment of light and shadow. The high contrast emphasizes textures – the rough hewn balustrade, the girl’s checkered dress, the soft toy. How does the tonality contribute to the emotional weight of the piece, do you think? Editor: It gives it a sense of gravity, a weightiness. The soft toy she’s holding, looks like she's about to kiss it, seems to be her focal point, rather than the outside world. There's a clear visual separation between her and the environment created by the railing and fence, which suggests feelings of confinement, despite being outdoors. Curator: Precisely. Barocas uses formal elements – line, shape, texture – to evoke isolation. Consider also how the perspective draws us to the child but keeps us at a distance. The composition doesn’t invite intimacy, does it? Rather it acts as a window into the state of mind. Editor: No, it really doesn't. I hadn't considered the effect of perspective like that. The window allows the eye to rest in multiple places throughout the frame. This was helpful. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Formal analysis allows for deeper connections and interpretations of an artist’s intentions when concerning their aesthetic choices.