Untitled 1991

Thomas Roma made this gelatin silver print, Untitled, sometime in the 20th century. What strikes me first is the greyscale that feels so rich, like a world stripped back to its essential contrasts. It's not just black and white; it's about the gradations, the in-between spaces where the real stuff happens. Look at the way Roma captures the texture of fabric, from the heavy drape over the altar to the delicate sheen of hair. The light seems to cling to these surfaces, giving them weight and presence. There’s a specific spot where the light catches the kneeling woman's collar, and that little burst of brightness pulls the whole composition together. It's like a tiny exclamation point in a sea of shadows. Roma's work here reminds me a bit of Garry Winogrand. Both have an eye for capturing the messy, unpredictable beauty of real life. It's a reminder that art is about seeing, feeling, and engaging with the world in all its glorious ambiguity.