Sisters, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 27 - 2000

Deborah Luster made this tintype photograph titled 'Sisters, St. Gabriel, Louisiana’ without specifying when, but the process is key. Tintypes have this incredible, direct quality because they’re made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal. This one has a kind of sepia tone that feels both ghostly and immediate. Look at the way the black paint circles around the eyes of these two young women, it’s both playful and a little menacing. The surface has this beautiful, aged quality – the dark background and the way the light catches on their faces and clothes gives it a timeless feel. There's a vulnerability to the subjects, but also a kind of defiance. I can't help but think of Diane Arbus, who also had a knack for finding beauty and truth in unexpected places. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself.