Untitled 1993

Curator: This gelatin silver print, simply titled "Untitled," was captured by Thomas Roma in 1993. My first thought is somber reflection, given its grayscale palette. There's a weight here. Editor: Yes, that absence of color lends the image a sense of gravity and historical record, especially knowing Roma's focus often involved the African American community in Brooklyn. This photograph seems to capture a moment of stillness within a presumably religious space, given the presence of a cross in the background. I'm struck by how each figure embodies different attitudes toward the setting. Curator: Precisely! Observe the girl in the white shirt and tartan skirt – her gaze is averted, almost skeptical, suggesting a complex emotional landscape within. Consider the symbols adorning her clothing - the heart patch, the decorative rivets, against the backdrop of faith. Aren't they powerful metaphors? Editor: They speak to me of intersectionality. The cross—a symbol loaded with Western religious and historical implications—paired with youth adorned in contemporary styles, highlights a community navigating identity, tradition, and modernity all at once. Roma, in that moment, gives voice to their specific experiences, in opposition to monolithic, stereotypical representations. Curator: Indeed. Each element works together, guiding the viewer to a meditation on faith, memory, and identity. Even the quality of the light, the shades of gray, communicate a powerful, introspective feel that draws me in. I feel it pulls viewers in too, towards collective stories and archetypes. Editor: Absolutely. I'm left pondering the weight of expectations on these children. They’re caught between their personal experiences, religious upbringing, and societal pressures of their time. And this moment, captured by Roma, reminds us that these tensions shape them. Curator: It is a study in subtle symbols, a moment suspended, where we're invited to examine these children in a space between solemnity and adolescence. Editor: And that examination allows for us, and forces us, to understand how powerful moments such as this—captured in black and white—reveal more about lived experiences and social pressures than colorful recreations ever could.