Untitled c. 1930s

Caroline Whiting Fellows made this untitled gelatin silver print sometime in the middle of the 20th Century and, gosh, it's more than just a photograph, isn’t it? It’s a real construction of shapes and tones, like a modernist still life. What I find so interesting is that everything is rendered in these subtle shades of gray, which really emphasizes the materiality of the objects. Take the hat, for instance: the felt looks soft and inviting, and then the box is sturdy, almost architectural. It’s this tension between textures and forms that gives the work its dynamism. Look at the edges of the cardboard head, how they catch the light, giving it a kind of sculptural presence against the gray background. This reminds me of some of the cubist painting from the early 20th century, the way they broke down forms into planes and angles. But with Fellows it's like she's building things back up with light and shadow. It’s this amazing conversation about form and representation across different mediums.