kate smuraga
from her series: metamorphoses
letters from a quiet town
portraits 2008-10

A screenshot of my phone in Sonos playing Bohren & the Club of Gore with the album cover - just a white skull on black.

I love this album so much and 'Constant Fear' has that ability to cross senses, like how you can taste a blow to the head. Bohren & the Club of Gore, from the album 'Black Earth'.

A black-and-white street photograph seen from inside a vehicle or building, looking out through a grid of dark-framed windows and a central door panel. The window frames divide the scene into rounded rectangular sections, giving the image a layered, almost theatrical composition. Outside, on an old city street lined with worn storefronts and carved architectural details, several people are scattered across the view. In the lower left section, a young child in a light shirt stands facing inward toward the camera, looking directly ahead. In the center background, two adults stand close together in an embrace. Near a doorway in the middle, three adults linger on a stoop—two sitting and one bent slightly forward as if speaking or preparing to stand. A vertical sign with Chinese characters hangs beside the doorway, and additional Chinese signage appears above a shop on the left. On the right side, a young girl in a dark jacket stands in the foreground near the edge of the frame, turned partly away but glancing back toward the camera with a calm, alert expression. Another child stands farther back near the doorway. The weathered walls, wooden doors, and textured stonework create a sense of age and everyday life, while the heavy interior framing makes the viewer feel like an observer quietly watching the street from behind glass.

Marc Riboud, Pékin, ‘65

A black-and-white photograph of a small child walking alone down the center of a narrow dirt road, cradling a large white rabbit in both arms. The child is photographed from slightly above and faces forward with their head tipped down, so their eyes are hidden by shaggy dark hair. They wear a dark long-sleeved sweater, dark pants, and light-colored sneakers. The road stretches deep into the distance and is lightly covered with scattered pale flower petals or blossoms, creating a speckled pattern across the ground. On both sides of the road are grassy fields, and to the right stands a row of blooming trees with dense white blossoms, some petals appearing to have fallen onto the path. The landscape is quiet and rural, with softly rolling ground and distant trees fading into the background, giving the image a calm but slightly eerie, dreamlike mood.

Romualdas Rakauskas • from the ‘Flowers’ series, ‘70

Hunted for a date for this series but came up short.

A black-and-white photograph of a young woman in a vintage dressing room, standing with one foot propped on a curved wooden chair as she pulls up a light-colored stocking. She wears a theatrical, old-fashioned outfit: a dark corset or bodice over a pale short dress with ruffled shoulder straps, a thin dark choker, and lace-up heeled boots that reach to mid-calf. Her dark hair is parted in the middle and styled into two side rolls or bows near her ears. She looks downward with a quiet, concentrated expression as she adjusts the stocking on her raised leg. The setting feels like a backstage costume area. A heavy dark curtain hangs behind her on the left, and to the right a tall carved wooden wardrobe or mirror frame reflects part of the room. In the reflection, another seated figure is partially visible, along with draped clothing and patterned wallpaper. The floor appears to be wood, and the overall composition has a staged, antique cabaret or theatrical mood.

Bella Matveeva • from ‘Classic Brothel Aesthetics’, nd

A high-contrast black-and-white photograph of a weathered outdoor courtyard or café space framed by urban walls and metal railings. In the center background, a tall stucco building is painted with a large mural of a young woman’s face in three-quarter view, her chin tilted upward as if looking toward the sky. To the left of the portrait, the wall also features the word “Atena” inside an oval shape and a painted window-like design. Above the mural is a small upper terrace with wicker or lattice-style paneling, two rounded window openings, and a striped awning. On the far left, a dark metal staircase zigzags upward along the side of the building, adding strong diagonal lines. The foreground is crowded with patio furniture and fixtures: a large square sun umbrella stretches across the middle of the image, partially blocking the lower part of the mural; several tall closed patio umbrellas stand to the right; and mushroom-shaped outdoor heaters rise among planters and tables. Tropical-looking leaves and potted plants are scattered throughout the space, though many details are lost in deep shadow. Near the lower left-middle area, a doorway marked with the bright word “USCITA” (Italian for “exit”) stands out against the dark interior behind it. At the very bottom of the image, a metal gate runs across the frame, with a sign attached that reads, in Italian, “QUESTA PORTA DEVE RIMANERE CHIUSA,” meaning “This door must remain closed.” The overall mood is dramatic and cinematic, with stark sunlight, heavy shadows, and a slightly gritty, abandoned-after-hours feel.

Roberto Tullj • ‘somewhere in Rome’

A grainy black-and-white photograph shows a person collapsed face-down across a rumpled bed, their body angled diagonally from the upper right toward the center. Their long, dark hair spills messily over a white pillow and obscures their face completely, giving the image a withdrawn, exhausted feeling. One arm is bent under their head, while the other stretches downward across the bedding; both hands are visible, pale against the bright sheets, with short black-painted fingernails standing out sharply. They are wearing a dark, long-sleeved top or dress that blends into the shadowy upper half of the image. The bed is covered in loosely gathered white sheets and a thick pillow, creating a strong contrast against the dark clothing and hair. Behind the bed is a tall, dark upholstered headboard, and along the far left edge of the frame a narrow strip of light-colored wall is visible. The overall composition is high-contrast, intimate, and moody, with heavy film grain and deep shadows that emphasize fatigue, solitude, and stillness.

Philomena Famulok

A grainy black-and-white photograph shows a nude person standing in front of a tall dark wardrobe with a narrow vertical mirror in one door. The person is seen mostly from behind at the right edge of the frame, out of focus and cropped so only their shoulder, back, hip, and upper thigh are visible. In the mirror’s reflection, their full body appears more clearly: they are standing in profile with short, chin-length hair, one arm bent across their chest, and one leg slightly forward, creating a soft, sculptural silhouette. The wardrobe is centered in the image, with two curved handles on the lower middle doors. The mirror reflects a bright window or light source behind the person, making the reflected figure appear backlit and luminous against the darker cabinet. A chair or stool is visible near the person’s legs in the reflection. On the left side of the room, floral-patterned wallpaper runs vertically along the wall. The overall composition feels intimate and candid, with strong contrast between the dark wardrobe, the bright reflection, and the pale blurred figure in the foreground.

Alix Cléo Roubaud • La Bourboule, Chambre 14

A black-and-white photograph shows a cobblestone passage sloping gently downward through a large arched tunnel or gateway. The left wall is rough, heavily textured stone, lit by a broad horizontal band of sunlight that cuts across the darkness. In the foreground, two children appear in silhouette, walking hand in hand along the wall; their long shadows stretch dramatically across the uneven cobbles toward the viewer. Farther ahead, near the bright opening of the arch, two more figures walk outside in the distance. Beyond the gateway, bare winter trees, a low tiled roof, and a softly rising hillside are visible against a pale, glowing sky. The image has strong contrast, with deep shadow inside the passage and bright light at the exit, creating a quiet, cinematic, slightly haunting atmosphere.

Carlos Saura

Bsky calling this 'sexually suggestive' makes me want to bop their nose with an issue of Hustler.

Black-and-white, grainy mirror self-portrait of a woman seated indoors, holding a vintage twin-lens reflex camera mounted on a tripod directly in front of her torso. She has a short, dark bob haircut with long bangs falling over one eye, and her head is tilted slightly downward so her face is mostly shadowed and partially hidden by hair. She is wearing a light-colored, lace slip or camisole with thin spaghetti straps, exposing her shoulders and upper chest. Her arms are bent inward as she grips both sides of the camera, and one bare leg is raised and bent toward the foreground, creating a close, intimate composition. The background is minimal and softly blurred, with flat interior walls and horizontal architectural lines, emphasizing the moody, private atmosphere of the photograph.

Vera Biryukova, ‘12

A black-and-white, low-angle photograph shows two young women standing outdoors among tall, leafless trees, viewed from below against a pale, overcast sky. Both figures wear light-colored sleeveless slip dresses that fall above the knee and look soft, slightly rumpled, and gauzy. The woman in the foreground stands on the left and appears closer to the camera; her head is thrown all the way back so her face is almost completely hidden, exposing the line of her throat and chin. Her dark, wavy hair falls around her shoulders. Her arms hang loosely at her sides, with her fingers slightly curled. Behind and to the right, a second woman stands farther back in a similar pose, also leaning her head back so her face is obscured. Her lighter hair falls around her shoulders, and her dress has a gathered waist and a slightly fuller skirt than the dress of the woman in front. The two figures appear nearly motionless, with a solemn, trance-like, or ritualistic posture. The background is filled with bare tree trunks and tangled branches, creating a stark winter woodland setting. The composition emphasizes vertical lines from the trees and the elongated posture of the women, while the grayscale tones and upward camera angle give the image an eerie, haunting, cinematic mood.

Owen Patrick

This is stupid but I had a bestie, long since passed who, whenever upset at something would mimic Rik from The Young Ones when he angrily starts a letter "Dear Mister Echo.."

Atmospheric black and white photo, depicting gravestones in the foreground and the misty outline of a church with a bell tower behind.

Glasserton Church in the mist.
#blackandwhitephotography #Scotland #Galloway #SouthernScotland

Ron Francis (Australian Artist, born 1954)
"Walking Leviathan", 2017.
Oil on Canvas, 110 × 110 cm.
Private Collection

#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt

🤎🧡🩷

This is just so wretchedly crass. Everyone involved is without a soul.

A grainy black-and-white photograph shows a woman lying curled on her side across a narrow, worn platform or stage. She is positioned horizontally from left to right, with her knees bent and her body facing away slightly, while her head is turned toward the camera. Her expression is distant and tired, and one eye is clearly visible beneath tousled, light-colored hair that falls messily around her face. One arm is bent under or near her head like a pillow, while the other rests forward, with her hand partly covering her forehead. She wears a loose, oversized jacket or shirt that bunches around her torso and hips, along with sheer or very light-colored tights or stockings that make her legs appear bright against the dark background. Her lower legs extend toward the left side of the image, resting beside a thick, padded cylindrical object laid across the platform. Around her are several large, industrial-looking vertical poles or supports wrapped in padding, with metal chains hanging down from above, giving the setting a rough backstage, warehouse, or performance-space feel. The overall composition is stark and moody, with heavy shadows dominating the background and most of the scene rendered in deep blacks and soft grays. The bright curve of the woman’s body and the pale highlights in her hair stand out sharply against the dark, nearly featureless surroundings, creating an atmosphere that feels raw, vulnerable, and theatrical.

Bob Gruen • Debbie Harry, ‘78

A black-and-white photograph shows a surreal street scene against the exterior wall of an old building. Set into the wall is a deep rectangular window recess framed in pale stucco, with a pair of weathered wooden shutters closed inside it. Resting on the windowsill is a human-like face or mask with dark, hollow-looking eyes and a solemn expression. Rising dramatically from the top of the head is a large spiky succulent or agave-like plant, its long pointed leaves fanning upward and outward like an extravagant headdress, with several tall flower stalks extending above it. Below the sill, a person stands with their back to the camera, reaching both arms straight up to grip the ledge. They have long, dark hair hanging down their back and wear a loose, light-colored coat or jacket. The composition makes it look as though the figure is either lifting the plant-headed face into place or clinging beneath it, creating an eerie, dreamlike illusion. The lower part of the wall is faced with rough stone, contrasting with the smoother stucco above, and the entire image has a grainy, slightly worn texture.

Nikos Economopoulos • Karpathos island, Olymbos village, Greece, ‘89

This artwork is a famous watercolor painting by the Swiss-German artist Paul Klee, titled Moonrise (German: Mondaufgang), created in 1925. The piece is a classic example of Klee's unique abstract style, blending elements of Expressionism and Surrealism. It features a central yellow circle representing the rising moon, set against a dark, grid-like landscape of geometric shapes.

This famous watercolor by Swiss-German artist Paul Klee, titled Moonrise (German: Mondaufgang), was created in 1925. It exemplifies Klee's abstract style, blending Expressionism and Surrealism. It features a yellow circle for the rising moon against a dark, grid-like landscape of geometric shapes.

A black-and-white photograph shows a large group of young people gathered on a mound of broken concrete, bricks, and twisted debris in the middle of an urban demolition site. Around two dozen figures are scattered across the rubble at different heights, some standing with hands in their pockets, some crouching or sitting, and others leaning against one another. Their clothing is dark and layered—leather jackets, heavy coats, boots, slim trousers, and punk- or new wave–style outfits—giving the group a tough, streetwise look. Several faces are turned toward the camera, while others look off to the side or down at the ground, creating a mix of defiance, boredom, and casual intimacy. The setting is stark and desolate. Jagged chunks of masonry fill the entire foreground, with exposed rods and scraps of construction material jutting out at odd angles. Near the center front, one seated figure holds a round object that looks like a lamp or reflector, its pale circular face standing out against the dark clothing and rubble. Behind the group rise tall, unfinished or stripped-down building walls: on the left, a blank modern apartment block with rows of square windows; on the right, rough stone and brick facades with exposed surfaces and dark window openings. The sky above is washed out to a near-white blankness, making the figures and debris appear even more graphic and stark. The overall mood is raw, rebellious, and communal, like a portrait of youth occupying the ruins of a city in transition.

Thomas Heuer aka Masto Lowcost • Lucrate Milk w/ Paris punks, ‘81

A black-and-white documentary photograph shows a Black man seated outdoors at what appears to be a community gathering or food distribution table, cradling a small child across his lap while sharing a meal. The man wears a dark beret tilted to one side, a black leather jacket over a light collared shirt, dark trousers, and a small round button pinned to his chest. He bends his head down with a gentle, focused expression, looking at the child while holding a paper plate of food in one hand and a utensil in the other, as if preparing to feed the child or himself. The child, a toddler with short curly hair, wears a striped sweater and light-colored pants and leans back against the man’s arm, gazing up toward his face. Behind them is a rough wooden table crowded with cardboard boxes, paper goods, and drink cans, suggesting a busy communal food setup. Some boxes are printed with partial words such as “Grape Soda” and “Juice Buttons.” In the blurred background, other people stand nearby, their bodies only partly visible, reinforcing the sense of a public event or neighborhood program. The overall mood is intimate and tender despite the bustling setting, with the photograph capturing a quiet caregiving moment in the middle of collective activity.

Ruth-Marion Baruch • A Black Panther feeds his son at the “Free Huey” rally in Oakland, Ca., Feb. 17, ‘68

Black-and-white photograph of Auguste Rodin’s Triton & Nereid (1893), showing an unfinished, highly textured sculpture of two intertwined mythological figures. A softly modeled nude female figure, the Nereid, sits in a twisting, folded pose with her head bowed and eyes downcast, her expression calm and dreamlike. Beside and partly behind her, the rougher, more fragmentary form of Triton emerges from the same mass of sculpted material. The figures seem to rise out of raw clay or plaster, with broken edges, thick lumps, and visible tool marks contrasting with the smoother contours of the woman’s face, torso, and limbs. Set against a dark plain background, the sculpture feels intimate, melancholic, and in the process of becoming.

Auguste Rodin • Triton & Nereid, 1893

Cassette cover of DM - Singles '81 - '85

Album cvr 4 the single 'Get the Balance Right'.

Listening
⸻
Depeche Mode • ‘Get the Balance Right’, ‘83

A black-and-white photograph of a solitary nude figure standing barefoot on a rocky lakeshore, centered in the frame with their back to the camera. A dark cloth is draped over their raised arms and upper body like a hanging veil, completely covering the head and torso while leaving the lower back, buttocks, and legs exposed. The person stands at the edge of a still lake dotted with small clumps of grass and stones, with the water reflecting the muted outlines of dense forest and layered mountain ridges in the background. The landscape feels misty and quiet, with soft gray tones and hazy hills receding into the distance. In the lower right corner, white date-style numbers read “80 6 10,” giving the image the look of an old archival or snapshot print.

Nobuyoshi Araki

Candy Darling • The Death of Maria Malibran, ‘72

A high-contrast black-and-white photo shows a musician sprawled on a worn wooden stage floor, playing an electric guitar amid a tangle of cables and pedals. The performer has short, two-toned hair—light blonde on top with darker underneath—and wears heavy dark eye makeup, a black sleeveless outfit, and ripped light-colored tights. One arm is bent over their head while the other hand grips the guitar neck, and a star-patterned strap runs across their chest. Around them are stage gear and clutter: a microphone stand cuts diagonally across the foreground, coiled cables snake over the floor, a guitar effects pedal sits by their hand, a water bottle rests near the top edge, and a large textured speaker or amp fills the lower right corner. Beside the performer lies a handwritten paper setlist that reads, in part, “(40 MIN) THREE TIME,” “TEACH ME,” “EML,” “Dreamers,” “serial killer,” “champagne,” and “So if you want me would u?,” with “Shut” written near the bottom. The angle and flash lighting make the scene feel raw, intimate, and chaotic, like a small live show caught from just inches away.

A black-and-white concert photo shows a musician lying on their back on a dark club floor while playing an electric guitar, surrounded by the lower legs and shoes of audience members standing in a loose circle. The performer has short, light-colored hair with dark eye makeup and wears a sleeveless black outfit with a short leather skirt, torn light-colored tights, and tall black platform boots. A guitar strap decorated with bold rectangular patches and stars crosses their chest, and the guitar cable snakes diagonally across the floor and over one boot. Their body is curled slightly, one knee bent high and the other leg extended, giving the image a raw, kinetic, mid-performance feel. The stark flash lighting throws bright highlights across the performer’s face, hands, boots, and the instrument, while the surrounding crowd remains mostly cropped to shoes, pants, and hems, emphasizing the intimacy and chaos of a live floor-level show.

A black-and-white live performance photo shows a bassist kneeling onstage while playing, framed against a drum kit and dim stage equipment in the background. The musician has short, shaggy platinum-blonde hair, dark dramatic eye makeup, and hoop earrings, and wears a fitted black outfit with a sheer, corset-like bodice and a short leather skirt. A wide guitar strap with bold rectangular patches and stars runs over one shoulder as they hold a light-colored bass guitar, looking down with a focused, self-possessed expression. Behind them, a drummer is partially visible in shadow, with the word “NATAL” printed in large white letters on the bass drum. Soft haze and stage lighting give the image a smoky, moody atmosphere, while the low kneeling pose and monochrome contrast make the scene feel both intimate and powerful.

Takayuki Okada • Sunflower Bean

A black-and-white, square-format photograph shows a small child standing alone on a dark paved path in a foggy outdoor landscape. The child is centered in the frame and faces the camera with a solemn, almost haunting expression. They have dark curly hair adorned with a floral crown or cluster of light-colored flowers, and they wear a long light dress under an oversized, shaggy white coat that hangs heavily around their shoulders. In both hands, they hold a shiny basket or pail at waist level, suggesting a costume or ceremonial outfit. The setting is dim and mist-covered, with an open grassy field stretching behind the child and tall evergreen trees fading into dense fog in the background. The mist softens the outlines of the trees and makes the distance look blurred and empty. The foreground pavement appears wet or very dark, adding to the cold, eerie atmosphere. The image has a quiet, gothic, cinematic mood, with strong contrast between the child’s pale clothing and the shadowy ground and fog-darkened landscape.

Diane Arbus • A Flower Girl at a Wedding, Connecticut, ‘64

A black-and-white portrait shows an elderly, very thin man standing indoors beside a rough plaster wall and a bright window. He is shown in profile, facing to the right, with strong light from the window illuminating the side of his face and casting much of his body into shadow. His face is deeply lined and gaunt, with prominent cheekbones, a narrow nose, and a solemn, faraway expression. He wears a dark brimmed hat tilted back on his head, a light collared shirt, and a long, plain outer garment or coat that hangs loosely from his shoulders. A pair of eyeglasses dangles from the front of his clothing on a cord. One arm extends slightly forward toward the camera, the hand partly closed, while the other arm hangs outward near the window, its fingers thin and bony. The room appears stark and worn, with visible cracks in the wall, a dark ledge or bench along the left side, and a narrow window frame on the far right, giving the image a quiet, austere, almost sculptural feeling.

Cristiano Mascaro