Steinberg in Nose Mask, New York 1966

Irving Penn made this gelatin silver print of Steinberg in New York. It's monochrome, a real study in grey scales. It’s kind of hilarious, right? You can imagine Penn and Steinberg in the studio. I bet they were laughing. I love to imagine the set up; the way it all came together. Did they try a bunch of different masks? Did Steinberg make the mask himself? I wonder if he made it specifically for this photo, or if it was laying around in his studio. I mean, artists just have stuff lying around, right? It’s not just a photograph, it's a collaboration, a moment of play, and I'd say it's also portraiture. I think it's a reflection on identity, or maybe anti-identity. But it's also just funny, and I love that. So much art is so serious, but this is like, let's have a little fun, let's be goofy, let's hide.