mary and babe (1982).

outside mather house amid a heap of trash, i found a philip-lorca dicorcia reprint (18 x 24) from the museum of modern art. the photograph is entitled mary and babe (1982). the original is estimated at $20,000. please check out a larger image here. this photograph will be hanging on my wall next school year in all its glory.

i adore this photograph. i found it matted, framed, and scratched in such a way that added character. dicorcia has made a career of photographing higly-stylized images of people most often in urban settings. look closely at the fine points--the eighties glamour magazine, her nearly nude top, pat benatar black-lined eyes, and the records atop the television. what i adore most are the 70s influences in this early 80s photograph--that is, the television, the mod chair turned on its side, and the faux wood walls. this is not high life, but fashionable nonetheless.

this photograph asks questions. is she fully clothed? is he disrobing? is there sexual tension? did she just give him head? according to one art historica, "to dicorcia, truth is simply a cousin of veracity, not its master."

the sensuality in the photograph cannot be overlooked. i immediately thought "sex." i googled the image to reveal thoughtful commentary on the shot. but, i also found a number of porno sites using the photograph's likeness to sell $19.95 packages for unlimited porno downloads.