Antigua, Guatemala 1972

This is Antigua, Guatemala, a photograph by Ed Grazda. Look at this image, and how it captures a slice of life, a moment in time, but not just any moment. It’s got layers, literally. There’s a procession, a staged scene, and then there's the photographer's own perspective. The blacks are deep, velvety. They create a sense of weight. The whites, on the other hand, feel almost like a release, a breath of fresh air. The texture of the flag, held aloft with that face imprinted upon it, is incredible. The photograph presents multiple layers, and competing perspectives. The layering reminds me of collage, or even the way Gerhard Richter would sometimes re-photograph his own paintings to create new images. Grazda seems to be interested in this too. The work embraces ambiguity, inviting us to contemplate the multiple layers of meaning.