Bridgeport, Connecticut 1941

This is a small black and white photograph by Walker Evans entitled, Bridgeport, Connecticut. It captures a crowd of pedestrians on a city sidewalk, each seemingly caught in their own thoughts. I wonder what Evans was thinking when he released the shutter? I can imagine him waiting, poised with his camera, for the perfect alignment of figures. Look how the angle of the woman's coat rhymes with the lines of the buildings. The box she is holding interrupts the vertical emphasis, creating a satisfying contrast. The tonality is subtle, full of mid-tones. It's a photograph that feels both immediate and timeless. Evans’s work, with its blend of precision and spontaneity, has always been a touchstone for me, reminding me that art can be found in the everyday. He belongs in a long lineage of artists who see and feel the world deeply.