Bullet #6 2014

Lalla Essaydi made Bullet #6, using photography, and the effect is something between painting and collage. The gold here isn't just a color, it's a substance, an atmosphere. Look at the way she's layered patterns upon patterns, like she's building a space out of pure ornament. The figures almost blend into the background, becoming part of this dense, decorative surface. Notice the details: the way the light catches on the metallic surfaces, creating a shimmering effect, and the way the patterns seem to shift and move as you look at them. The figures in the image seem to be ornamented with calligraphy. The more you look, the more the surface seems to dissolve and reform. I think about how the work of someone like Gustav Klimt may have been an influence, where the surface of the painting is just as important as the subject. It's not just about what we're seeing, but how we're seeing it. Essaydi invites us to question our assumptions about beauty, identity, and the very act of looking.