Construct VI-A 1981

Barbara Kasten made this photograph, "Construct VI-A," using light and geometric forms to play with our perception. The cool palette and sharp lines create a sense of depth. What strikes me is how Kasten uses the materials—glass, mirrors, and colored shapes—to construct a reality that's both familiar and disorienting. The surfaces reflect and refract light, making it hard to tell what's solid and what's illusion. Look at that red triangle, almost floating against the muted background. It's a bold statement, disrupting the otherwise cool tones. It reminds me of how a painter might place a dab of color to activate a whole canvas. Kasten's work shares affinities with artists like László Moholy-Nagy, who also experimented with photography as a tool for abstraction. Ultimately, “Construct VI-A” invites us to question what we see and how we see it, embracing the ambiguity that makes art so endlessly fascinating.