Untitled 1992

Thomas Roma captured this photograph using traditional photographic techniques. Roma’s skill lies in his ability to coax a range of tones from black and white film, producing images that are both intimate and socially engaged. Look closely at the woman’s hands. The light catches the planes of her fingers as she claps, a gesture of call and response. It’s a study in contrasts: the crisp detail of her braids against the blurred figure of the person behind her; the matte surface of the wall and the sheen of her skin. The biblical text painted on the wall hovers in the background, adding another layer to the composition. Painters like Gerhard Richter come to mind, especially in his black and white paintings, and his use of blur to give an atmospheric quality to what would otherwise be a straight documentary image. Just as in painting, here light and shadow combine, creating a work of art that resists a single, fixed interpretation.