body object series #4, cloth Possibly 1985 - 1991

Ann Hamilton made this photograph, body object series #4, cloth, and it's about so much more than just what's in front of the lens. Look at the way that cloth moves, it's almost like another head, a ghost of a head, or a thought balloon that's popped. It's all captured in monochrome, inky blacks, chalky whites, and grainy greys, which lets us focus on the textures. You can feel the rough surface of the wall, the smooth sweep of fabric. That simple t-shirt is so creased, and worn, and real. The whole thing feels transient, like a fleeting moment, but that’s what photographs do, right? I love how Hamilton makes the everyday extraordinary. It reminds me of Hannah Wilke, who also knew how to make the body and the mundane into something profound. It’s like she’s asking us, ‘What does it mean to be seen, or not seen, to be covered, or uncovered? What’s the relationship between the body and the world around it?’. There aren't any easy answers, of course, and that’s the point.