King Death Advanced Aims 9 - 1968

Flip Schulke made this gelatin silver print, King Death Advanced Aims, and it's got this hazy, dreamlike quality that really pulls you in. The monochromatic palette is so interesting, it gives the image a timeless feel, like it could be from any era. I’m struck by the texture, especially the grainy quality of the veil. It's like looking through a screen, obscuring and revealing at the same time. The veil itself is a fascinating element. It's both there and not there, a physical object that also creates a barrier, a sense of distance. The way the light catches the edges of the veil, creating these little highlights, is just gorgeous. It adds depth and dimension to the image. This reminds me a little bit of some of Diane Arbus's portraits – that same fascination with the uncanny, the slightly unsettling. But where Arbus is often confrontational, Schulke feels more like a gentle observer. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers, it's about asking questions, and maybe, just maybe, catching a glimpse of something real in the process.