Allen Simpson, Angola, Louisiana 10 - 1999

Editor: Deborah Luster’s photograph, “Allen Simpson, Angola, Louisiana,” created in 1999 using the gelatin silver print method, is a powerful portrait. I find the subject's closed eyes and furrowed brow quite striking, even unsettling. What do you see in this piece, especially regarding its potential symbolic meaning? Curator: The closed eyes immediately capture my attention as well. In iconographic terms, closed eyes can symbolize a multitude of things: peace, rest, but also blindness, or even death. The furrowed brow complicates this, adding a layer of suffering or deep thought. Given the title referring to Angola, a Louisiana State Penitentiary, known for its harsh conditions, what does that place name evoke for you? Editor: Incarceration, definitely. A lack of freedom. I suppose his closed eyes might represent a retreat inward, a psychological coping mechanism against the external environment. Curator: Precisely. The portrait then becomes a vessel for the weight of societal burdens, the psychological impact of imprisonment. The gelatin silver print itself lends a certain timelessness, doesn’t it? Evoking historical portraiture and mugshots from decades prior. Consider how the Black Arts Movement might inform how we understand Luster’s contemporary piece as part of a broader continuum? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered the historical context of gelatin silver prints so deeply, or the through line of artistic expression that reflects and pushes against past conditions. Curator: Images, like the one here, often operate on multiple levels simultaneously, reflecting both personal experience and broader cultural memory. The choice of technique, the sitter’s expression, and the geographical reference, are woven together creating a profound, lasting statement. Do you feel that's born out in this image? Editor: Yes, absolutely. Thinking about all the symbolic connections and the cultural context makes me appreciate the photo on a much deeper level now.