Paul Hardman 1993

This is Nancy Andrews’s photograph ‘Paul Hardman’, and it looks like it was made with a camera and film. The image is black and white, with a soft, grainy texture that gives it a kind of timeless feel, like an old memory. The light in this photograph is beautiful. It catches the details in his face, and then the frills of the lace curtain behind the marble bust on the right. It really makes me think about how different surfaces absorb and reflect light. There’s an area on the bust’s shoulder that is catching the light, throwing it out in a way that makes it feel almost like its glowing. I’m reminded of Diane Arbus and her knack for capturing the vulnerability of people. Andrews shares that sensibility, but with an added layer of tenderness. It’s a photograph that invites you to linger, to ponder on the stories it might be trying to tell, and maybe even invent a few of your own.