Claire A. De Soto, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 28 - 1999

Deborah Luster created this arresting portrait, Claire A. De Soto, with a photographic process from another era. I can imagine her carefully mixing the chemicals, coating the plate, and then, in the darkroom, waiting for the image to slowly materialize. There’s a quiet intensity in Claire’s eyes and posture that holds the entire piece together, like a delicate balancing act. The golden tone against the dark background, the texture of the plate itself, it all reminds me of the Dutch Masters, that golden age of portraiture. Maybe Luster was thinking of them too, channeling their spirit while also bringing her own vision to the fore. It's an ongoing conversation, this thing we call art. Each artist picking up the thread from those who came before, weaving it into something new, something all their own.