Henry Hadwin, Angola, Louisiana 19 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph of Henry Hadwin in Angola, Louisiana, using a process that's all about alchemy and light. Look at the way the gold tone floats up from the surface, almost like a memory. It gives the whole image this ghostly feel, right? The dark background, it’s like he’s emerging from the shadows. The edges have these imperfections, these little flecks and wears that tell you it's not about perfection. And those imperfections, they're the point, aren't they? Like life, like people, this process embraces the unexpected. Makes me think of Sally Mann and her way of using old techniques to get at something raw and real. It’s like they’re both saying, art isn't about control, it's about letting things happen and seeing what emerges. It's about process and that's ok.