Woman by the Pool, Beverly Hills Hotel 1975

Curator: My initial reaction is… theatrical. Stark sunlight and dark shadows transforming reality. I can feel the heat bouncing off the tiles and the subtle perfume of the privileged class! Editor: Indeed! Let's dive in. This gelatin-silver print is titled "Woman by the Pool, Beverly Hills Hotel." It's a work from 1975 by the photographer Anthony Friedkin. The black and white image evokes instant nostalgic memories. Curator: Ah, yes. It smells of old Hollywood! The lady with the big hat standing guard near the pool edge. A symbol of style. Though what is her intention, to oversee everyone at the hotel pool? To seek a suitor? To get away from everyone by hiding herself behind that enormous hat? Editor: She's almost an abstracted form. Her face is totally obscured by that magnificent hat. I see her as a pillar—a guardian even—her elevated sandals give the sensation that she rises tall from the surface around her like a Greek goddess protecting the pool and all who relax in its waters. And it leads me to a reflection, the life guard watching the pool goers who are there seeking life preservation! Curator: Or a voyeur, gazing down the pool. Don't you think her stillness, that very constructed poise, says a lot about Friedkin’s approach? Even if it’s a photograph of a public space. She and everyone surrounding is performing relaxation. No one here appears comfortable to me, even with the privilege of such leisure. The man sunbathing in the lower corner looks staged even! Editor: Exactly. Look at how he frames the entire scene using shadow and light and framing them. What looks staged as you note seems to point at something hidden behind all that glam and glitz: this picture to me seems to tell us more about the artist, or perhaps the viewer, and the psychological space we bring to it more than the people depicted! It looks real yet evokes questions to what lies behind such artifice. Curator: It feels like a critique disguised as an ode! Very good, thanks for shedding new light here on Anthony Friedkin. Editor: My pleasure! Thinking about the latent messages makes viewing a constant process of active uncovering and critical dialogue. Thank you.