Act II: The Voyage: To explore a City buried in the sand Possibly 1980 - 1981

Arthur Tress made this photographic print, “Act II: The Voyage: To explore a City buried in the sand,” sometime in the twentieth century. What I love about this image is how Tress embraces artifice, creating a world that feels both familiar and dreamlike. Look at the sandy texture, a tactile contrast to the smooth surfaces of the horse and human heads, all emerging from a stage setting. This staging reminds me of the theater or even a tableau vivant, a living picture. Consider that horse's head. It’s not just a horse, but an idea of one, rendered in a way that emphasizes its form and texture. It’s this play with materiality and staging that makes the image so compelling. It reminds me a little of how David Hockney stages his photographs. But it’s also totally its own thing. Ultimately, “Act II” invites us to embrace the beauty of ambiguity, reminding us that art is often about the questions it raises, not the answers it provides.