Alterity 2002

Here we see Geta Bratescu's photographic work, "Alterity," made with black and white film. The composition is dominated by a figure draped in dark clothing, positioned against a neutral backdrop. The subject’s hand obscures one eye, creating a stark contrast between visibility and concealment, presence and absence. This gesture complicates the act of seeing, and being seen. Bratescu seems to be playing with notions of self-perception, and exterior image. Through this image, Bratescu explores ideas of identity. In closing, the monochromatic palette and the stark simplicity of form serve to highlight the conceptual underpinnings of the work. It functions as a powerful statement on the complexities inherent in the representation of self. The photographic image serves as a site for questioning, rather than fixing identity.