Untitled 1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard made this untitled photograph, sometime before 1972, most likely using a medium format camera, like a Rolleiflex. The book looks distressed, water-stained, like it's been through something. It sits in a kind of murky darkness, alongside what looks like part of a doll’s head. I can’t help but think about Meatyard setting up the composition, positioning the objects, adjusting the light. What was he thinking? Was he trying to say something about memory, loss, and decay? Or, maybe he was just exploring the formal qualities of light and texture? For me, this photograph brings to mind other artists such as Joel-Peter Witkin who use unconventional and sometimes unsettling subject matter. I wonder if they are in dialogue, if they knew each other's work? Ultimately, the meaning of this photograph remains open-ended, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the viewing.