Curtsy 1999

Justine Kurland made this photograph, its titled ‘Curtsy’, at an unknown date. There’s a wonderful flatness to this picture, like a memory or a dream. It's fascinating how the picture's light is really muted; the sun looks pale and washed out. It kind of makes you think of early color photography. But look closer and you see the image is not just about capturing a scene; it's also playing with texture and light. The contrast between the soft, blurred wildflowers and the harsh, industrial landscape creates a tension that's really compelling. The way the figure almost blends into the foliage… The pose and gesture make me think of Paula Rego, with her staged scenes and the way she used bodies to explore the undercurrents of human experience. Like Rego, Kurland is interested in storytelling and in subverting traditional depictions of women. These photographs suggest that art is never really finished, it just keeps transforming, reemerging in different forms, across generations. The work embraces uncertainty and invites us to bring our own stories to the viewing.