Act III: The Final Judgment: Our darkest Griefs may hold our brightest Hopes Possibly 1980 - 1981

This theatrical photograph by Arthur Tress brings to mind the question: is it a stage set, a dream, or a memory? The image is a whimsical arrangement of figures, almost like paper dolls, set against a backdrop that reads ‘Opera.’ I can imagine Tress carefully placing each element, orchestrating a scene that’s both joyful and slightly unsettling. There's a sense of play, but also of something lurking beneath the surface. Are those party favors scattered on the stage, or something else entirely? I think of Redon’s dark fairytales, or the way Ensor used masks, and how they remind us that what we see is not all there is. Tress, here, is playing with our expectations, inviting us to question the line between reality and illusion. All artists are in conversation with one another across time, and I find Tress’s work particularly inspiring. His photos remind us that art is not just about capturing the world as it is, but about creating new worlds, new possibilities.