Angola, Louisiana 24 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph, Angola, Louisiana, with a wet plate collodion process which involves a portable darkroom and a lot of alchemical gestures. This process is not unlike painting; the artist has to prepare the surface, pour the emulsion, sensitize the plate, expose, and then develop it. There’s an interesting tonal range in this photograph, from a dark, nearly black background to the soft greys of the figure, which gives the piece a kind of haunting quality. The cross taped to the backdrop at the top of the frame acts as a symbolic framing device, drawing our eyes to the man holding an emblem of faith. The softness of the collodion printing lends itself to the solemn expression, and we see the faith the man has. Luster's use of photography as a means of storytelling and documenting the lives of those often marginalized reminds me of the work of other artists like Wendy Ewald who collaborate with their subjects. Luster's work embraces the ambiguity of human experience, and multiple interpretations are invited rather than fixed meanings.