Angola, Louisiana 31 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this ambrotype, a photograph on glass, of a man in Angola, Louisiana, sometime in the late 20th or early 21st century. The sepia tones and direct gaze give it a timeless quality. It is a fascinating portrayal of a man, but also of a process. There is a palpable surface texture, almost like an oil painting. The chemical process makes the image shimmer and look a little unreal, like a daguerreotype. The subject is self-assured, but I also see an element of vulnerability in his expression, and this tension is really what gives the piece its power. Look closely at his shirt: The way it drapes and folds gives us a sense of the actual fabric. It is this that grounds the image and gives it its emotional weight. There is something of Diane Arbus in this portrait, but it also reminds me of the portraits by Alice Neel. What do you think? I love the way this piece doesn’t offer easy answers, leaving space for us, the viewers, to bring our own experiences.