"K's Kitty," St. Gabriel, Louisiana 13 - 2000

Deborah Luster made this tintype, "K's Kitty," in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. I love how the artist coaxes so much from the limited palette of tones. It’s almost monochromatic but sings with subtle variations. There’s a real physicality to this image. The surface has that slightly uneven, unpredictable quality you get with the tintype process. Look closely at the way the light catches the woman's braids; each one is carefully rendered. And the tattoo, so delicate, like a whispered secret. You can imagine the artist carefully manipulating the chemicals, watching the image slowly emerge. This feels linked to other artists like Sally Mann, who also used photography to capture something deeply personal and rooted in place. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling that gets passed down and transformed.