Torso, San Francisco c. 1923 - 1959

Here is a black and white photograph, taken by Dorothea Lange in San Francisco. It’s a torso—just the body, not the head. And it's a body that seems to have been captured in a moment of quiet introspection. What was she thinking, I wonder, when she made this? I can imagine Lange, as a photographer, thinking about classical sculpture. Her choice to focus on just the torso allows her to explore the beauty and form of the human body without the distraction of a face, and the way she uses light is very delicate. It is a sensitive portrayal, almost like a drawing. You can see how Lange uses shadow to model the body, creating a sense of depth and volume. It’s interesting to consider how artists are always in conversation with one another, across time. Seeing this photograph reminds me of my own way of making paintings—experimenting, trying things out, not knowing exactly how something is going to turn out. I really like that state of uncertainty, which allows for new ideas and possibilities to emerge.