Untitled 1993

This is an Untitled photograph by Thomas Roma, printed on a sheet measuring approximately 11 x 14 inches. The picture is dominated by subtle gradations of tone. This feels right to me; like the different shades we see as light falls on a surface, nothing ever really looks *just* black and white, you know? The man in the suit is a study in contrasts. His dark skin against the pale jacket, his hands clasped together in front of him, while the other musician holds his sticks loosely. The whole image feels like an exercise in textural variation. Look at the sheen on the cymbal, so bright in comparison to the matte of the wall. It's a real push and pull between light and dark. You can almost hear the silence of the room before the music starts. This reminds me of Roy DeCarava, but with Roma's own twist. It shows that all artists, in a way, are in dialogue with one another. And maybe that's what art's all about, it’s an open conversation.