Figure of a Woman, Sibiti? 1935

Walker Evans made this photograph of a carved figure, possibly from Sibiti, at an unknown date, using gelatin silver. It's not just a document; it's an act of seeing. What grabs me is the way Evans frames the sculpture against that stark background. The texture of the wood pops, and the dark, almost uniform tone, gives the piece a real gravity. I imagine the sculptor using simple tools, letting the material speak, which Evans then captures with his lens, continuing this artistic lineage. The sculpture's curves and lines, almost cartoonish, have such a strong presence. The jutting arm looks like it is reaching towards something, maybe a future. Evans’ image reminds me of some of Brancusi’s photographs of his own sculptures, so aware of form, playing with light, and capturing the way that art objects retain their presence and energy regardless of the medium. Art is constantly in conversation. There’s never a final word.