Florida 2017

Editor: This photograph, "Florida" by Richard Ross, was taken in 2017. It's a stark, close-up portrait that feels incredibly intimate, almost confrontational. There's a real sadness in his eyes. What do you see in this piece, beyond that initial emotional response? Curator: The direct gaze, the slight upward tilt of the eyes—it evokes a history of portraiture used to depict saints, often looking towards divine inspiration. Ross positions the subject with the same solemnity. Are we meant to see a parallel between this man and a figure deserving of reverence? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't thought of religious iconography. I was focused on the rawness, the lack of artifice. Curator: Exactly, it’s the juxtaposition. The symbol of holiness against the palpable humanity, even vulnerability, of the subject. It prompts us to ask about the kind of suffering or struggle we unconsciously attribute to individuals. Does his race influence that assumption? Editor: It’s impossible to ignore, isn't it? Especially considering the history connected to the state this portrait is named after. Florida evokes so many charged memories. Curator: Precisely. Ross's choices feel deliberate, layering cultural weight. The question becomes, is he reinforcing existing perceptions, or prompting a deeper reflection on our own biases? What do you think he might be saying about contemporary society and its relationship to its own symbols? Editor: Wow, I need to rethink how I see portraits. This feels much more loaded than I first assumed. Thanks for opening my eyes to that. Curator: It’s the power of images, isn't it? The layers of meaning, the cultural memory they carry, often without our conscious awareness. Examining portraits really reveals the complicated relationships between who is looked *at* and who is *looking*.