Name: Marcy Sagel
Occupation: Interior designer and owner of Kitchens By Design in Baltimore
What I Chose: “Lauren,” a portrait taken by photographer Dawoud Bey
Why: At first glance, “Lauren” looks like a typical yearbook photo — a young, freckled girl wearing an oversized sweatshirt, stray strands of hair, posing with her elbows on her school desk. But I am struck by what else this crystal clear image tells us about Lauren — and maybe, about all of us.
The portrait is one of 35 on display in the Contemporary Museum’s latest exhibition, Dawoud Bey: Class Pictures. Bey has built his career on giving voice to marginalized populations. For the past decade, he has focused on teens, photographing hundreds of American high school students across racial, economic and geographical boundaries. Each portrait is accompanied by a statement written by the subject.
At such a transformative time for our country and for her generation, I think “Lauren” arrives in Baltimore at an incredibly poignant moment. There is a calm hope in her eyes and an inquisitive look on her face as if she’s eager to see what’s next. Like a detective, you can try to piece her life together; the beginning of the word “academy” embroidered on her sweatshirt wrapping around a volleyball logo, the leafy landscape seen outside the window and even the glistening desk on which she rests her elbows indicate who she is. Her accompanying text tells of determination, lofty expectation and parental pressures. It reminds us that we are still looking at a kid.
I like the hope and the innocence of Lauren, the person, and “Lauren,” the portrait.
