Untitled 1928

This Untitled photograph was made by Claude Cahun, and although we can't be sure exactly when, it's likely to have been somewhere around the 1920s. The image is toned in a way that creates an effect a little like drawing, with soft gradations between light and dark. I'm intrigued by the way Cahun uses their own body as a canvas. The dark smudges on their cheeks, the text on their chest, "I am in training, don't kiss me" -- it's all part of the performance. There's a theatricality, but also a kind of vulnerability. And what's with the disembodied hand holding a stick? The contrast between the stark white turtleneck and the deep shadow behind the figure gives it a real sculptural quality. Thinking of other artists who explored identity through photography, someone like Hannah Höch comes to mind. Ultimately, what I love about Cahun’s work is how open it is. It invites us to question everything, especially ourselves.