Untitled 1993

Thomas Roma made this photograph, printed on a sheet measuring about 16 by 20 inches. It looks like it was made in the darkroom. I can imagine Roma in the darkroom coaxing the image out of the paper. What was he thinking as the image emerged? Maybe he was thinking about how to capture the solemnity of this moment, this anointing. The light, modulated by the developer, has a particular tone – a kind of reverence. The composition, with its receding planes of faces, leads my eye back through the crowd to the hand. The hand is captured mid-gesture, offering a blessing. I'm drawn to this hand, and the woman’s face. Her closed eyes. It’s a moment of intense feeling. It makes me think of other photographers like Roy DeCarava, who were so good at finding grace in the everyday. Like Roma, they were really good at capturing the human spirit. The tradition continues, each artist borrowing, expanding, and deepening the conversation.