The Brown Sisters, Wellesley College, Massachusetts 2006

Nicholas Nixon made this photograph of the Brown sisters at Wellesley College using a large format camera. It's black and white, with a tight tonal range. Look at how the light falls on their faces, it's a study of the way the character is etched by time. The surface of the photograph itself feels smooth, almost like skin. The sharpness of the image and the scale of the print, the almost 8x10 dimensions gives an intimacy and vulnerability to the subjects. The contrast in their clothing and accessories, like the elder sister's white blouse and the necklaces of two of the other sisters is just remarkable. I'm struck by the way that one of the sisters is looking out of frame, and I can't help but wonder what she's thinking. Thinking about other artists who make photographic series over time, like say, Sophie Calle, you can see how this series is also about time, about the way time changes us, and about the way we stay the same.