Untitled #7 2009

Editor: Laura Letinsky's "Untitled #7," a photograph from 2009, strikes me as intensely serene, almost minimalist. It's mostly just light and subtle shades of white. There's this sort of ghostly geometric form nestled against a plain wall, kissed by the sun. What do you see in this piece that maybe I'm missing? Curator: Oh, darling, you've hit on something wonderful. It's an elegy, wouldn’t you say? Like a hushed poem. What Letinsky’s giving us isn't just geometry; it’s the ghost of form, a whisper of domesticity maybe. Look how the light sculpts that "form"--paper? Plastic?--it hardly matters! Notice how light acts not only to expose the object, but in reality, hides more than what's shown. It obscures edges and invites abstraction. Editor: That's interesting – the idea of light obscuring. I initially saw it as revealing, highlighting the form's simplicity. Is that kind of tension a common thing in her work? Curator: Precisely! She sets the stage where reality teases the viewer. Her work plays with light and fragility... emptiness. There is an ephemeral nature here. She encourages our curiosity with soft tones. Tell me, how does it make you *feel*? Editor: Hmm. I guess I feel a little uneasy. The composition is spare. And while the light is pretty, there's something unresolved. Curator: Yes, indeedy, that unease IS the invitation to dive deeper! And for me, that sense of something beautifully undone is what makes Letinsky's photographs so quietly powerful. Perhaps it reflects a beauty which invites us to slow down. Editor: I never thought about it that way. So, it's almost like the incompleteness is the point? Curator: Exactly! The story begins not with her clicking the camera, but within *you*! It’s about inviting our imagination to weave something into nothing! Editor: I’m going to need to revisit this one a few more times! Thanks!