What if Diane Arbus had been in this bedroom? by Pavlina Marie Wilkin

Subject

Middle of the frame

His gaze meets yours squarely

Tilted head, curious lips

Best cuts, the loin

Light

Depth of field such that

Silver chest radiates

Lights up this darkroom

And a heart

Shadow

Whisky is a ‘man’s drink’

The taste will linger later

Like the feel of a

5 o’clock shadow

Colour

Black and white

are my favourite films

a dream sequence

for sorting out the head

Background

Meeting in the headlands

Joining in the midlands

Basking next to Turnmills

Walking in the foothills [Repeat]

Focus

An armature grid

Sets the subject free

To hell with the golden ratio/ rule of thirds

The rule book

Holding

It starts in a darkroom

bathed in olives

Skin is paper

sensitive to exposure

Exposure

Salts are an activated

memory of sweat

A suspension of protein

needs to bind

Fixer

Gelatin emulsion or albumen

never both

Results are uncontrollable:

mystifying, unique

This image is solarized:

animal, silver