Untitled (Man sleeping with turtle) c. 1940s

This anonymous photograph captures a man sleeping with a turtle, using light and shadow to create a snapshot of stillness. The tonal range is limited to black and white, which almost feels like it abstracts the scene, flattening the image and drawing attention to the play of textures within the frame. You've got the plushness of the couch, juxtaposed with the hard shell of the turtle and the smooth fabric of the man's trousers. It's all about surfaces, isn't it? The speckled texture of the turtle's shell, cradled in the man's arms, really grabs me. This image reminds me of some of Fischli & Weiss's photographs because of the ordinary subject matter and the casual way it is framed. Like their work, this photograph celebrates the beauty of everyday moments, inviting us to find poetry in the mundane.