Self-portrait c. 20th century

Curator: This is Louis Lozowick's "Self-Portrait." It's a strikingly direct image. Editor: There's such intense light and shadow. It almost feels confrontational, as if I'm being challenged by the gaze. Curator: Lozowick often worked with geometric forms and hard-edged realism, reflecting his interest in modern urban life and socialist ideals. The angular shadows create a sense of monumentality. Editor: The starkness, the lack of embellishment... it speaks to a certain social austerity, almost a worker's stoicism against the grain. Is that a prison uniform or a fashionable garment? Curator: Perhaps it’s meant to be both. It speaks to the confines of self-perception and social structure. Editor: So, what begins as a personal image becomes a window into collective experience. Curator: Precisely. That's where Lozowick's strength lay. Editor: Well, I won’t look at stripes the same way.