Unidentified Woman 1972

Editor: Here we have Andy Warhol's "Unidentified Woman" from 1972, a polaroid photograph. There's something both intimate and detached about it, and that off-kilter composition, cropping the figure on the right side of the frame… What strikes you most about this work? Curator: Oh, this Polaroid is a whisper from Warhol's whirlwind. The '70s… that shimmering, gritty freedom. What do I see? I see Warhol, yes, but I see him seeing. Not just documenting a face, but almost inhaling it. Like he's trying to capture a scent on film. A mood, a secret. He was always hunting for that fleeting essence, wasn't he? And Polaroids... instant. The anti-oil painting. You could try and freeze time itself with it! Editor: I guess I hadn’t considered how the choice of a Polaroid contributes to the piece itself, beyond the Pop Art aesthetic. It does have that spontaneous quality. But who do you think she is? Is she a celebrity, or just a random person? Curator: That's the Warhol magic trick, isn't it? Could be royalty slumming it in the Factory, could be the girl next door with that New York glam shine. It doesn't really matter. She becomes a 'Warhol', like a brand new flower, discovered and loved, then catalogued for his collection of friends and stars. Editor: That's a good point, it’s less about *who* she is and more about what Warhol is doing here… This photograph seems so simple, yet we can still have a good conversation about it. Curator: Precisely! It just takes seeing, reflecting, letting the work do what it does best: sparking the imagination. A quick flash can reveal eternity, darling.