Melody: Back 2011

Curator: Mickalene Thomas's gelatin-silver print, "Melody: Back," created in 2011, immediately strikes me with its interplay of textures and geometries, don’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely, the stark contrast is hard to ignore. There’s a palpable tension in the material choices. I wonder, how was the setting constructed? Were these fabrics sourced or specially made, considering Thomas's attention to detail? Curator: The dynamism comes from the tension between the figure and ground; the subject’s dark skin stands out against a cacophony of black-and-white patterns and forms. Consider the strategic placement of those floral props, almost echoing her own languid posture. It reads as Neo-Expressionist with those combined figuration and matter-painting cues. Editor: Indeed, and knowing Thomas's body of work, one cannot ignore the social commentary imbued in the choice of a Black woman as the subject. Her gaze carries power. The very materiality of this silver print connects to historical processes, and hints to what extent women have been looked at or appropriated through similar aesthetic tools. Curator: Precisely. The starkness enhances this, stripping away color to focus on shape and tone. And it's crucial how Thomas is referencing historical modes of portraiture to reclaim representation. This creates a space for challenging conventional beauty norms. Editor: But what truly captivates me are the hidden hands that set up the photo-shoot: the stylist, the assistant, the people involved in sourcing and preparing materials—the photograph is a result of communal making in practice, one that requires labour for the work to speak on its own terms. Curator: I find that viewing Thomas’s works brings to mind larger questions on modern composition—namely, how line, shape, and texture work to express a feeling. It's a masterclass of subtle choices to deliver an artwork. Editor: Yes, and these subtle yet profound choices highlight the material labor involved in image construction. An observation that elevates beyond mere aesthetic appeal. Curator: Thinking of her broader oeuvre, it provides an aperture into the artifice in photography and Black feminine identity. Editor: It is a poignant observation, especially because through her artmaking she’s building social spaces, material connections to labour. This grounds any conversation to a potent commentary in the 21st-century world.