The strict parallelism between the photograph of the sculpture and the line of the cut between shadow and light might suggest that the print was placed on purpose in the window to obtain the image, and that this is a staging. On the other hand, it may just have been the case that the always-attentive Fernando Lemos happened to come across this situation.

Faced with the uncertainty of either of these scenarios, it is important to note the artist’s gaze in the analogy he made between an everyday reality, in the title of the work, and an imagined narrative based on elements that only suggest it.

Fernando Lemos often surprises us with the titles he gives to his photographs, leading the observer towards specific narratives that result from the singularity of his observation, as in this case or in Hospital de Bonecas [Doll’s Hospital]. With other works, the title might be related to the history of a certain object (Manequim de Exposição [Exhibition Mannequin], which the artist also named Manequim Assediado [Harassed Mannequin]), or attributed via fictions he created himself (Nu de Ensaio [Rehearsal Nude], also called Caça ao Búzio [Whelk Hunt]). It is worth noting the dynamic of some titles, given by Lemos at different times and exhibition contexts.

José Oliveira
2022