Twee mannen die geisha's selecteren voor een optreden in een theehuis in Japan c. 1896 - 1906

Kōzaburō Tamamura made this photograph titled 'Two men selecting geishas for a performance in a tea house in Japan'. It's a small print, and because it is a photograph, we know that a process was involved. I find the grayscale very interesting, because even though it is a document, it lends a sense of timelessness to the image, and asks us to look harder. It captures a moment in time, but also seems staged. Look at the seated figure to the left. Her pose is so perfectly positioned and serene. The framing here is so important, with the lines of the room creating a composition that is both staged and deliberate. It reminds me of Edward Hopper, but from a completely different perspective. Both artists capture a quiet moment in time, but with very different cultural contexts. Both artists remind us that art is an ongoing conversation.