Paul 1973

Joan Cassis made this photo of a boy called Paul sometime before 1996. Look at the way the light is hitting the boy's face, and how it falls across the wall next to him. Cassis has made the most of a found moment, letting the boy tell us how he is feeling, by using tone, light, and shadow. I wonder what Cassis was thinking when she made this image. Was she imagining something, or was she just interested in recording an everyday moment? I imagine she was drawn to the texture of the peeling paint on the wall, and the shadow of the door handle. She might have seen something of herself in the boy and his introspective pose. I love that this is how artists work; we're all in an ongoing conversation, trading ideas through time, inspiring each other. Ultimately, this image embraces ambiguity, allowing for many different ideas.