St. Gabriel, Louisiana 13 - 2000

Deborah Luster created this tintype, St. Gabriel, Louisiana, using a photographic process from the 19th century. It’s all about light and shadow, a limited palette, like a memory fading at the edges. The woman in the picture holds what looks like a handmade garment, maybe a child’s dress or a baptismal gown. The cloth has this amazing crinkled texture, and the way Luster captures it with this antiquated process makes it feel like we’re looking at something both fragile and enduring. The darkness behind her makes the creamy color of the fabric pop, but also creates a sense of enclosure, like a secret is being shared. There’s something about the rough-hewn quality of tintypes that reminds me of early folk art, where the imperfections are part of the charm and the message. Like the work of Alice Neel, Luster's portrait feels incredibly intimate. Ultimately, it’s this tension between vulnerability and strength that makes the piece so compelling.