Esperanza Bryant, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 25 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this tintype, Esperanza Bryant, without specifying a date. I wonder if this was a snapshot, like a polaroid? The surface is beautifully distressed, stained and scratched, adding to the feeling of intimacy and age. The contrast between light and dark throws the sitter into stark relief. I can imagine Luster in her studio, mixing chemicals, polishing the metal plate, and carefully pouring the emulsion. Photography, like painting, is so physical, so messy. It involves a kind of alchemy, transforming ordinary materials into something precious. Luster’s photographs remind me of Daguerre. Both make portraits of people, both make social commentary, and both imbue their work with layers of meaning. But, ultimately, the artist is saying, “Here I am, here you are, here we are, together.”