Untitled (upper right corner of man's face) after 1950

Editor: Here we have Lester Cole’s "Untitled (upper right corner of man's face)," a black and white photograph. There's an intriguing intimacy to this close-up. What do you see in this partial portrait? Curator: The glasses immediately suggest a certain type of intellectualism, a barrier and a lens through which the world is viewed. But what about the smile? Editor: It seems genuine, warm, maybe even a bit mischievous. Curator: Exactly! The dichotomy creates a compelling tension. This fragment speaks volumes, doesn’t it? The man’s face almost becomes an icon. Editor: I hadn't considered it that way, but isolating the face emphasizes its symbolic weight. Curator: It reminds us that even partial images can evoke entire narratives.