Rostro con Peces, Shipibo Conibo, Pucallpa, Peru (Face with Fish, Shipibo Conibo, Pucallpa, Peru) 1996

Javier Silva Meinel shot this black and white photograph of a woman with fish covering her eyes somewhere in Pucallpa, Peru. I wonder about the circumstances that led to the making of this image. What was it like for her to pose like that? Were the fish fresh or had they been sitting around for a while? It feels like a really bold gesture, using these silvery, scaly beings to obscure her sight. Fish eyes instead of human ones. What does it mean to look at the world through the eyes of a fish? Perhaps it speaks to a deeper connection to the natural world, a blurring of boundaries between species. Or maybe it’s a comment on seeing, on vision itself, and what it means to truly perceive. Photographers and painters are always in conversation and exchange of ideas. Even if you are alone in your studio, you're connected to a larger world, which is pretty inspiring.