Barbara Bruce, M.D. (Capetown, South Africa) 1988

Curator: Rosalind Solomon's photographic portrait, "Barbara Bruce, M.D. (Capetown, South Africa)," captures its subject on a beach, seemingly lost in thought. Editor: It feels very still, despite the ocean's movement. There's a kind of serene melancholy about it, isn't there? Curator: Solomon's work frequently engages with identity and place, and here we can consider how the coastal setting and the sitter's profession intersect, perhaps speaking to the complexities of life in South Africa. The print itself also shows the marks of the darkroom process. Editor: I wonder what Barbara Bruce was thinking at that moment. The ocean is such a classic symbol, and here it seems to mirror some interior depth. Curator: Indeed. It is through her choice of film, composition, and subject, the artist creates a document that engages with place, personhood, and photographic materiality. Editor: It certainly makes you contemplate the unseen currents that shape us.