Angela West, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 25 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this black and white image, Angela West, St. Gabriel, Louisiana, using a photographic plate. There’s a certain stillness to it, a quietness that seems to emanate from the surface itself. I’m really drawn to the imperfections of the plate, the little scratches, the worn edges. They remind you that this isn’t just an image, but an object with its own history. Look at the way the light catches Angela’s face, how it illuminates her expression. There’s a sense of vulnerability there, but also a kind of strength. And then there's the dark background. It's almost like a void, a space of uncertainty and the unknown, which makes her stand out even more. It’s like those portraits by Alice Neel, capturing something essential about the human condition. It's less about perfection and more about capturing a moment in time, with all its flaws and complexities.