Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea 2012

Arsen Savadov created this photograph, Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea, and it feels like a theatre set, but instead of paint, he uses real things. It's staged, of course, but the ocean spray is not. Look at how he uses that strong, saturated orange of the life ring against the blue of the sea. That color choice isn't accidental. It's a jolt, a punctuation mark, a way to make sure you don't just drift through the scene. I love how the textures create a kind of organized chaos. The roughness of the rocks contrasts with the smooth fabrics and the crisp geometry of the costumes. There's so much going on here that my eye keeps wandering, looking for the through-line. It's a beautiful riddle. And, like a lot of good art, it asks more questions than it answers. I think of Jeff Wall or maybe Gregory Crewdson, artists who similarly build up these intricate, cinematic scenes. Ultimately, what any artist is doing, whatever the medium, is creating a space for thought, for feeling, and for possibility.