I was blown away by all the beautiful art in the Howard Greenberg Gallery. However after careful examination of many of the photos, I decided to speak about this photo of a hand, for it intrigues me the most. The photo is titled ‘Yahna Ganga’ – yahna meaning to sit or sit down, and Ganga meaning to hear, to think, and to understand. This title is the perfect caption for this complex photo because in order to understand it you have to sit down, allow the image to resonate in your mind and speak to you, think about it, and finally understand it.
This photo was an ambrotype – a positive photograph on glass made by a variant of the wet plate collodion process. The ambrotype was introduced in the 1850’s, but was quickly suppressed by the tintype – a similar photograph on thin black-lacquered iron.
What I admire the most is that the photographer only focuses on the hand, as it appears to be in a spotlight, without any light shining on it, while the rest of the background is black. What is even more interesting about this photo is that the hand is positioned in a way where it is reaching out at you in a simplistic but obscure way. As I stare at it I can’t help but wonder who this hand belongs to. And why they are reaching out, what are they reaching out for, or who are they reaching out for. The mystery behind this photo compels me.
It is quite obvious that the hand belongs to a black male. Based solely upon the wrinkles I can estimate that the man is around the age of 50. The hand seems worn out, as if this man has done a lot of work in his lifetime. It even seems as if the man is pleading in a way, possibly for money? The photographer represents more than just a black background and a hand in the spotlight through this photograph. This photographs symbolizes hope, salvation and the will to carry on. It also expresses a helping hand through its gesture, along with friendship and comfort. This piece of artwork is very inspiring and ultimately spoke to me on an emotional level.
