John Wilson 1993

Nancy Andrews made this black and white photograph of John Wilson, the filmmaker, and that tonal range is so important here. It’s all about how the grays graduate into each other, creating mood, and depth. Look at the way Andrews plays with light and shadow. The way the light falls on Wilson’s face, for instance, and then the deep shadows in the folds of the curtains behind him. There’s a palpable tension in the image. I am drawn to the way the light illuminates the window in the background, giving it the appearance of a halo. The image is a study in contrasts – light and dark, sharp and soft, revealing how visual elements come together to convey a sense of the subject’s personality. It reminds me a little of the photographic portraits of Alice Neel, there's a similar quality of psychological intensity, a way of capturing something essential about the person being portrayed. But this is not fixed, it’s all open to change. It’s like a song, always playing out different possible versions of itself.