Untitled (Two people in costumes) 1913

This photograph of two people in costumes was made anonymously with a camera, and its sepia tones give it a real ghostly feel. The costumes are amazing. They must have taken a lot of time to put together. I'm really drawn to the surface. The texture almost feels like velvet. There is something about how the light falls on the costumes that makes them seem so heavy, so real. And then, looking at the faces, obscured by fabric, it's hard not to think about the act of performance, and how much of ourselves we hide, or reveal, in our daily lives. It reminds me of the work of artists like Cindy Sherman, who uses photography and costume to explore identity and representation. The anonymous nature of this piece, combined with its formal qualities, invites us to consider the complex relationship between reality and artifice. This piece embraces multiple interpretations over fixed meanings.