Untitled (Boy sitting with birthday cake) 1959

This snapshot captures a boy with a birthday cake, taken with a camera at an unknown date by an anonymous photographer. The grey tones, soft and washed-out, lend the scene a timeless quality, a feeling of nostalgia for a moment now passed. I am interested in the way the buildings on either side converge, creating a tunnel-like effect that pushes our focus towards the child and the cake. There is a striking stillness. The boy sits patiently, and the cake remains untouched. Time seems to be suspended. The backdrop, though mundane, gives us a sense of place—a sun-drenched street somewhere, perhaps, in America. This image reminds me of the work of artists like Gerhard Richter, who often used photography as a starting point for his paintings, blurring the lines between representation and abstraction. Like Richter, this image invites us to reflect on the nature of memory, and how it shapes our understanding of the past. It is a poignant reminder of the beauty and fragility of everyday life.