Authorship is inherently connected to power and influence. Just as the act of naming something or naming someone, for that matter, asserts a sort of control over it, we attach our names to art to claim it.
Using light, silver paper, maybe a negative, and chemicals to create an image, this series of images tests the boundaries of what we consider to be a photograph.
"By placing black male bodies into the classic framework of portraiture, Kehinde Wiley asserts that there is something inherently noteworthy about blackness."
"Described as 'deeply poetic but also alive with questions,' Novo’s work represents the abundance of battle and bloodshed that took place in the twentieth century due to the power struggles under multiple totalitarian regimes."
Why do we “like” things? Why do we “heart” things? Does love mean swiping right? Does it mean holding the door for someone who has their hands full?
Maybe it's all of those things. Maybe we can’t define it.
The same photograph is ontologically impossible. But it is enough to spend a few minutes on Instagram, Flickr or Tumblr to see that a similar photograph is not only possible but is in fact quite frequent.