Opvoering van het toneelstuk 'De tante uit Indië' van Henri van Wermeskerken after 1928

This silver gelatin print shows a performance of Henri van Wermeskerken’s play, 'De tante uit Indië,' by the Vereenigde Foto-bureaux Amsterdam. I love how the monochromatic palette flattens the scene, making the textures of the patterned wallpaper and rug feel almost tactile. Look at the way the light catches the performer's gestures. It's as though the photo's surface has come alive, mirroring the theatricality of the play itself. The dark suit of the performer almost disappears into the patterned sofa. The eye is drawn to the gesture he is making with his white gloves, a flourish that says ‘ta-dah!’ I'm reminded of how Philip Guston would carve out space in his paintings with bold lines, turning weight into lightness. This image shares some playful DNA with the staged photography of someone like Cindy Sherman, who also uses artifice and performance to reflect back on our own ways of seeing. Art is just one big conversation that way.