Act III: The Final Judgment: And had a vision of sweeter years Possibly 1980 - 1981

Arthur Tress made this photograph, "Act III: The Final Judgement: And had a vision of sweeter years," using collage and staged photography. Tress approaches photography like he’s painting, layering image upon image. It’s this accumulation, this density, that gives the work its charge. The work feels like a stage set. A birdcage takes center stage, inside which is a disembodied eye. A red billiard ball sits on the floor next to the cage. It's these objects that feel so palpable, so there. The combination of photographic images and objects remind me of the Surrealists. The layering creates a dreamscape. It is reminiscent of the way Hannah Hoch or Max Ernst put their work together. Ultimately, the piece is less about any single idea, and more about embracing the possibility of multiple interpretations.