Marcos (at Halloween) Possibly 1986 - 1994

Jim Goldberg took this gelatin silver print, titled "Marcos (at Halloween)," sometime in the late 20th century. Photography is a potent medium, not only for the image it captures but also for the social dynamics it implies. In this image, Goldberg employs a traditional chemical process to create a black and white print, the stark contrast lending a documentary feel. Yet the scene—a person in an elegant costume, poised in a nearly empty room—hints at the construction of identity, the performance of self. The photograph feels charged by its specific framing of an individual who is both present and somehow distanced. This is not casual snapshot. Goldberg uses light, shadow, and composition to transform an everyday moment into something evocative. Ultimately, it's a potent reminder that even the most apparently straightforward medium is in fact a complex artifice, with the power to shape perceptions and provoke questions.