Lyubitel Kislogo (Lover of Sour Things), Leningrad 1973

Boris Smelov made "Lover of Sour Things" in Leningrad using photography, and it really gets under my skin. The monochrome palette lets you focus on the shapes, the way the light creates hard lines that push and pull in a really satisfying way. Look at the texture of the walls, the way they're aged and uneven. And then that tabletop! It's got such a story etched into it. You can almost feel the history in the wood grain, the layers of use and time. It's like the whole photo is building to that, two pale eggs sitting there. It makes me think of René Magritte – the way he staged these surreal little scenes, making you question what's real and what's not. I love art that doesn't give you all the answers.