Untitled 1987 - 1988

Curator: My first thought: intimate and quietly powerful. I find it tender. What's your take? Editor: Intimate yes, but also deeply unsettling in its portrayal of domesticity and implicit cultural narratives. Curator: We're looking at an "Untitled" photograph by Rosalind Solomon, created between 1987 and 1988. It's a gelatin-silver print, capturing two people posed in what appears to be a living room. Solomon, as you may know, had a unique way of navigating portraiture. Editor: Exactly. It is this particular use of black and white, devoid of glamor, that points to a very harsh reality: intergenerational ties amidst migration. The subjects appear caught, not posing in some aspirational light, but in their stark truth. The interior details point to displacement and assimilation struggles. Curator: Absolutely. There's a weight in the composition; that imposing dictionary on the shelf almost feels like another character. And look at their hands, the woman's gently resting on the man's, there’s an entire unspoken narrative there. For me, Solomon always leaves room for imagination; the magic happens in those subtle gaps she creates. Editor: It’s about what she chooses to reveal and, importantly, conceal. These portraits from Solomon emerge during the peak of second-wave feminism which provides a backdrop against which to inspect these women's histories and struggles for visibility. How the male subject looms large over his mother… Curator: Well, he’s seated further back in the chair, maybe. There’s no obvious oppression here. But I understand the discomfort. Solomon had a knack for uncovering societal wrinkles in seemingly calm moments. Editor: Exactly. The black and white only aids this, forcing us to confront their realities without the distraction of color or some imposed “beauty”. It's more a visual anthropological study than a traditional portrait, calling for a larger analysis of familial ties, inheritance and cultural exile. Curator: Leaving the warm and fuzzies out, basically. So, despite its un-glamorized style, this portrait does trigger reflection. We’re looking at two people who exist together in a world where neither their stories nor histories would have ordinarily converged without immense change. It feels somehow vulnerable and, yes, powerful. Editor: Absolutely. By avoiding sentimentality and employing such a stripped-down style, Solomon urges us to engage more thoughtfully, and to bring historical awareness and intersectional perspectives to bare. This image stays with you, long after viewing.