Red Surprise

I found this photo in January of 2005 on the downtown platform of the 66th Street 1 train stop. I’ve held onto it for all this time because I just love the composition of it – the lurid red, the glare of the flash on the metal door and dingy cinderblock, and the mystery of the girl blocking her face. Most likely it is the product of a couple of kids fooling around, but I love to imagine something more interesting or nefarious going on, like, the girl a victim of a killer who takes snapshots of his prey or a celebrity; she has an over-sensitivity to light; she was caught exiting a crime scene; she saw something she shouldn’t have; she’s had a surprise; her rival caught her wearing the jacket of the man she’s having an affair with; she’s disfigured; she doesn’t want you to see her tears; she was supposed to take the stairs; she’s a stranger, and someone snapped her picture just because… And where does that elevator go to?