New York 1987

Rosalind Solomon made this photographic print called 'New York.' It is monochromatic, which gives everything this lovely unified feel, drawing attention to the composition and the mood rather than dazzling us with different hues. Look at the way the light models the subject's face, making it so sharp and focused, while the rest of the scene is much softer. There is so much story here. The tattoos and piercings, but also the medical bracelet, the cross stitched on the pillowcase. What's real, what's permanent, what's temporary? That piercing gaze and hand gesture makes me think of a painting of a martyr, but Solomon seems interested in stripping away the religious connotations, or perhaps she's asking us to consider new forms of ritual. I am thinking of Diane Arbus, whose photography also examined the boundary between the abject and the sacred. This picture invites you to meditate on what it means to be human.