Untitled 1991

This photograph, of unknown date, is by Thomas Roma. You can tell it was made with love. It captures a moment in time with beautiful clarity. The composition is really something. It's got a performative element with the woman in the white dress pointing. The light seems to dance across the scene, creating a visual rhythm, it’s almost painterly. The tonality is just beautiful. Look at the textures, the way the light hits that woman’s shawl. It makes me think of Diane Arbus or maybe even some of the social documentary photography of the 30's and 40's, but with Roma's own spin, that mix of intimacy and respect. Art's about seeing and feeling, not about having all the answers. Roma invites us into a world, and it's up to us to meet him halfway.