St. Gabriel, Louisiana 2 - 2001

Deborah Luster made this tintype photograph, "St. Gabriel, Louisiana," and what strikes me is the way the subject holds those interlocked rings up to the light. It’s a small, intimate plate. I imagine the artist carefully preparing the chemicals, coating the metal, and then, in the darkroom, coaxing the image to appear. The sepia tones give it such a dreamy feel. The woman's gaze is directed upwards, toward something just beyond our view. I wonder what she’s contemplating as she elevates those circles, like a magician. Maybe it's about connection, about the links we have to one another, or to our past. Those plain circles become precious, held up like a sacred offering. Luster's work often deals with themes of memory and loss, and I feel that in this image. It reminds me that photography, like painting, can be a way of processing the world, transforming personal experience into something universal. It makes me think about the ongoing dialogue between artists, how we build on each other’s visions, constantly finding new ways to see and feel.