Portretten 1941 - 1945

Here are two portraits of a young woman, captured by Flex Foto sometime between 1941 and 1943. What strikes me is how the photographer coaxes out two different sides of the same person. In the portrait on the left, the woman's gaze is soft, almost wistful, while her mouth is still. Then on the right, we see her smiling, showing her teeth. The black and white tones give the images a timeless feel, making me think about how much, and how little, portraiture has changed over the years. It's fascinating to see how a slight change in expression can alter the entire mood of a piece. Think about Warhol’s silkscreen portraits and how he captured so many different aspects of fame and celebrity through repetition and colour variation. These portraits remind us that art, like life, is all about capturing fleeting moments and emotions. There's never just one version of the truth.