Troy West, Angola, Louisiana 11 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this small, golden-toned photograph of Troy West in Angola, Louisiana. The image is like a faded memory. It must have been a complex process, a dance between the subject, the light, and the chemistry. I imagine Luster setting up her camera, carefully composing the shot. Troy stands in the middle of the field, with a bag of harvested goods by his side. The light is soft, almost dreamlike. It’s like she’s trying to capture something essential about him, about his place in this landscape. The gold tone gives everything a sense of history, like an old tintype from the 19th century. There’s a stillness in his pose that feels both powerful and vulnerable. It reminds me of the work of other photographers who documented the American South, like Walker Evans or Robert Frank, but with a more intimate and personal touch. Artists are always in conversation, you know? Ultimately, this image lingers in your mind. It’s less about what you see and more about what you feel – a sense of connection, resilience, and the enduring human spirit.