Michael Martin, "Lil' Red," Angola, Louisiana 10 - 1999

Deborah Luster made "Lil' Red" in Angola, Louisiana, by means unknown to me! This image has a sepia tone, which gives it a historical feel. A man stands in front of a black background, wearing a white cap, tank top, and a long white apron, hands clasped. Look at the dark, almost velvety background. I can feel the artist playing with light and shadow, trying to capture a moment in time. I can imagine Luster carefully selecting her materials, maybe experimenting with different chemicals and processes to get just the right effect. You can see the grain of the image, the imperfections that make it feel so real. Does the subject know the image is being taken? How does that affect the image? It’s like she’s having a conversation with the history of photography, pulling it into the present. Artists borrow from each other all the time, riffing on ideas and pushing them in new directions. That’s how art evolves, through this constant dialogue across time.