Angola, Louisiana 1998 - 2002

Deborah Luster made this photographic plate, Angola, Louisiana, sometime after her birth in 1951. It looks like a portrait, but we see the back of someone's head: a man with thinning hair, a t-shirt, and jeans. The colors are muted, tending towards blacks, browns, and yellows. There are scratches and marks all over the surface. It’s unclear whether these are from the development process, or from handling. I wonder what Deborah Luster was thinking when she made this? I imagine her working in the darkroom. This image feels deeply considered and empathetic. She captures a sense of melancholy. The fact that we don't see his face, yet we see him, somehow. I like how this links to other artists working with photography as a way to think about memory, identity, and the passage of time. Artists are always in conversation, and I feel grateful for the exchange of ideas over time. I hope this inspires your own creativity!