Barbi Benton and Jon Gould 1980 - 1985

This photograph of Barbi Benton and Jon Gould was taken by Andy Warhol. The interplay of light and shadow in this black and white image feels immediate, like a fleeting moment captured on film, as if the photo itself is still developing. The texture of the photograph is smooth, with a slight sheen that catches the light. Look at the way the light illuminates Barbi Benton’s smile, highlighting the contours of her face. This is contrasted with the deeper shadows on the left side of the frame, where the figure is partially obscured. It's funny how the picture plane is disrupted by these bright whites, which flatten the image but also become an active part of it. Like many of Warhol’s polaroids, this piece is spontaneous and diaristic, capturing the energy of a particular place and time, as with the portraits of Robert Mapplethorpe by Alice Neel. Both artists had a way of creating intimate portraits that were also formally inventive and experimental. In the end, art is about making marks, telling stories, and having conversations with the world around us.