Hot and Cold Showers on Stage (Mäntyharju) 2016

This photo by Elina Brotherus, probably taken with a digital camera, gives you a clue about the art of "staging" as performance. Look at the way the figure—the artist herself, maybe—stands on that rock, like a character in a play. She's pouring water over herself, creating this dynamic, almost sculptural form with the cascading water. The red hat, a deliberate splash of color, anchors the composition. It makes the cool tones of the water, the sky and the lake sing! What I love here is the directness. There's nothing hidden. The stage is set, the action is clear, but the meaning? That's where it gets interesting. It reminds me a little of Hannah Wilke's performative photographs, where the artist's body becomes a site of exploration and expression. And yet, unlike Wilke, the presentation feels less explicitly 'feminist', more poetic. It invites you to bring your own interpretations, to feel the coolness of the water, the stillness of the lake, and to wonder about the story being told. Art making? It's just a whole lotta experimentation!