Angola, Louisiana 19 - 1999

Editor: So, this gelatin silver print, "Angola, Louisiana," made by Deborah Luster between 1990 and 1999... it's incredibly stark. The subject's gaze is so direct. How should we approach an understanding of this portrait? Curator: Let's think about the process and the material itself. The gelatin silver print – a relatively accessible medium – allowed Luster to document marginalized communities. Consider where it was made. What kind of labor and conditions are represented when photographing people connected to Angola, a former plantation turned prison? Editor: That's powerful. So you’re saying the choice of medium is crucial because it highlights accessibility and perhaps a specific intention behind documenting the people linked to this historical site of exploitation? Curator: Exactly. Look at the way the light interacts with the subject’s clothing. Is it worn, mass-produced? Also, the subject's direct gaze confronts the viewer. It is critical for thinking about power structures at play in image making, because traditionally those incarcerated are seldom afforded the opportunity to challenge representations of themselves and their surroundings. How does knowing this informs your viewing experience? Editor: I see… The historical implications of the materials and setting recontextualize the portrait itself. This act of recording demands we acknowledge the layers of production, visibility and labor intertwined in even the simplest-seeming image. It really forces you to consider your role as the viewer and how that factors into how these stories are told. Curator: Precisely. It's a work rooted in challenging preconceived notions about the process, both socially and physically, of making and understanding. By centering the material reality of art-making, we unearth the unspoken histories embedded within the frame. Editor: Thanks, I’ll be more aware of how artmaking’s circumstances create unique and thought-provoking pieces from now on!