Untitled – From the series Los Poderes de Oggu
Jorge Luis Alvarez Pupo (This is on the plaque. I checked the collection online on Artstor and it shows that Humberto Mayol is the photographer?)
Cuban (B. 1970)
Date: 2002
Gelatin Silver Print 1/25
This photo depicts a shirtless person simply blowing a puff of smoke upwards by craning his neck back. The lighting in photo is dim and the background as well as the edges of the person are darkened. The depth of field is short, though there isn’t much else behind the person but darkness.
After studying the photo a little more, I noticed that the shape and shadows of the person creates a figure that is almost phallic? Which, considering the nature of the collection, it seems to me an intentional choice through light, framing, and proximity. Something I definitely didn’t notice in-person.