Brian Barraza
Alberto Polo Ianez: Red Trauma
2007
When we think of trauma we think distress. In this image the color red creates tension in the composition of the piece. I love the uncertainty of the image. The subject is vulnerable, anticipating what lies next. The piece rises so many questions in me like what is the subject looking at or what is beyond the white tub, if anything. Is the red dress the thing that protects the subject from the trauma which haunts her? Alberto’s other pieces from this collection are just as fascinating, but this one really struck me. The other thing in the image which caught my eye was the distinctive shadows in the tub. The use of angle is simple yet fantastic
