Oklahoma 2014

Richard Ross made this photograph, ‘Oklahoma’. I imagine him in the room, camera in hand, trying to capture the scene with empathy. It’s a picture of a young girl lying on a bed in what looks like a cell. The walls are bare, except for a few marks. The overall impression is bleak, but then your eye is drawn to the colourful striped blanket. This makes me think of the comfort a child seeks in their favourite objects, but it’s also a heartbreaking detail. I wonder what it was like for Ross to take this photo? He's known for his work about the juvenile justice system and the lives of the young people caught up in it. It makes me think about how artists bear witness to the world and, in turn, challenge us to think more critically about the structures around us. We are all in a constant dialogue with one another. Ross’s image speaks to the power of documentary photography to expose the parts of society that are hidden or ignored. The ambiguity of the image allows for multiple readings, and for a recognition of the uncertainty of life.