Michael Byron 1986

David Robbins made this photograph of Michael Byron. There's a crispness here, a certain classical quality in the composition – it's all about the face, the gaze. Look at the way the light falls, creating shadows that model the features. I'm intrigued by how much a photograph like this reveals about both the subject and the photographer. The monochrome palette flattens everything, which makes the details of the expression stand out so much more. And what is that expression? Is it directness, or a kind of soft focus? It is hard to tell what is being communicated – and that is compelling. Robbins' work often plays with ideas of celebrity and representation, and in a way, this portrait feels like a meditation on the very act of looking, and being looked at. It reminds me of a John Currin painting, where the surface is smooth and precise, but there's an underlying sense of unease. The beauty, the pose, it's almost too perfect, which makes you wonder what's lurking beneath.