Woman with Flowers 

Frank Eugene’s photographic print, ‘Woman with Flowers,’ is crafted through a labor-intensive process of manipulating the photographic negative. Eugene wasn't just pointing and shooting. He scratched and painted on the negative itself, adding a handmade touch to an otherwise mechanical medium. The soft focus and hazy quality weren't accidental. They were created by hand, blurring the line between photography and other art forms, like drawing. This active engagement with the photographic process imbued the artwork with a unique texture and depth, softening the image and lending it a painterly quality. In the early 20th century, when photography was becoming increasingly industrialized, artists like Eugene sought to reclaim it as a form of artistic expression, pushing back against the idea of the photograph as a purely objective record. This approach elevates photography beyond mere reproduction, highlighting the artist's hand and creative vision. By emphasizing materiality, making, and context, we recognize the photograph not just as an image, but as a crafted object with profound cultural significance.