Alvaro Sosa, Angola, Louisiana 24 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph, Alvaro Sosa, Angola, Louisiana, with a camera and plates. The sepia tone gives everything this dusty, historical patina, doesn’t it? It's like looking through a window into another time, but not so far away. I’m drawn to the way Luster has captured this man’s stance, so solid, amidst this expansive field. There’s a kind of gravity in the image, but also a warmth. Look at the textures, the rough fabric of his shirt, the worn bucket, the boots. There's a real feeling of being in the landscape and of Sosa's place in it. The details, like the way the light catches the edge of the bucket, feel so deliberate and careful. Thinking of Dawoud Bey’s portraits of students, there's a similar intimacy and sensitivity to the subjects, a way of honoring their presence. It’s a reminder that art is about how we see, how we connect, and how we remember.