Yolanda Banks, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 27 - 2000

Deborah Luster made this arresting gelatin silver print of Yolanda Banks in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. The sepia tone gives the image an antique, otherworldly quality. I wonder what Luster was thinking when she made this. Perhaps it was something about how to make a picture when half the face is covered and in shadow? The drama is ramped up, and the image feels like a movie still. The person is dressed as if for ceremony but is also blindfolded, hooded. What does that blindfold mean? Is the artist suggesting something about injustice, or judgment, or lack of visibility, or maybe an allusion to justice? This image reminds me of Arbus's portraits of people on the margins and speaks to how artists borrow ideas across time and space, building on each other's visions to create something fresh. It's the way art evolves! It offers us an opportunity to reflect on the role of the artist as a witness, a provocateur, and a dreamer.