Lorena Lyle (Jonesboro, Tennessee) 1976

Curator: Rosalind Solomon's photograph presents us with Lorena Lyle of Jonesboro, Tennessee. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Oh, it's the doll, definitely the doll. It's so eerily stiff against the soft curves of the woman's shawl. A little bit unsettling, I must say. Curator: Solomon often worked in a documentary style, engaging with notions of identity and social realities. The setting, her clothing, and that doll, might offer some clues. Editor: It's like a memory, suspended. The black and white adds to the sense of a world slightly removed, yet intensely present. I keep wondering about that doll, it has stories to tell. Curator: And perhaps, also, about the stories Lorena Lyle carries within her. Thank you. Editor: My pleasure. What a poignant glimpse into a life.