Ilse Bing 1993

Nancy Lee Katz made this photograph of Ilse Bing using black and white film. Bing’s gaze grabs you, doesn’t it? It's a very direct stare that contrasts with the soft, almost yielding textures of her skin and the striped fabric of her shirt. There's a beautiful geometry at play in this image. The sharp angles of the chair echo the rectangular shapes in the photographs behind her. These framed artworks create a sense of depth. But it’s Bing's face that really holds my attention. The artist has captured every line, every shadow, revealing a life lived fully. The placement of her hand against her face makes a strong diagonal line that gives the image a dynamic sense of balance, while simultaneously reminding us of the weight of time. This portrait makes me think of the work of Alice Neel, who also had a knack for capturing the raw, unfiltered essence of her subjects. Just like a painting, photography can be such a conversation between artist and subject, life and art.