Untitled (Girl with piece of meat) c. 1970s

This small, square photograph captures an intimate moment in time. An anonymous artist, maybe a family member, snapped this image of a child with a piece of meat. I can imagine the photographer seeing that spontaneous expression and quickly reaching for the camera, hoping to capture the moment before it disappeared. I wonder, was the child delighted or terrified? There is a tension here, between the everyday and something more primal. The meat is glistening, dark, and animal, while the child is sitting at a table wearing a colourful jacket with her mouth open. Like a painter building up layers of color, the photographer has captured this scene with a sensitive eye. It’s a simple image, but it speaks volumes about family, memory, and our complex relationship with the food we eat. In a way, all artists are in conversation with each other, finding new ways to express something true about what it means to be alive.