Brigitta c. 1906

Frank Eugene made this photograph of Brigitta at an unknown date. It's a mysterious photographic print, with soft focus and an intimate feel. I wonder what Eugene was thinking when he made it? Was he trying to capture a moment of innocence, or was he more interested in the way light played across Brigitta's dress? You can see a picture behind her, and it makes me think about how people’s identities are made up of layers of images. I feel like the surface is more important than the subject matter. There's this incredible painterly quality to the print, almost like he was trying to make a photograph that looked like a painting. And in a way, I feel like that's what all artists are trying to do – to push the boundaries of their medium and see what it can do. We are all in conversation, borrowing ideas from each other, and building on the work that came before.