New York 1972

Helen Levitt snapped this photograph, simply titled ‘New York’, sometime in the 20th century. The grainy texture and muted palette feel so alive, so immediate, like a half-remembered dream. It's like Levitt just grabbed a moment right out of the air! Look at the contrast between the boys, one with a face smudged with dirt, the other holding a lightbulb to his cigarette. The lightbulb is almost ethereal, casting a ghostly glow on the boy's face. The image is all about texture – the rough brick wall, the scuffed green t-shirt, the grime on the kid’s face. You can almost feel the grit of the city. The graffiti in the background adds to this sense of raw, unfiltered reality. Levitt's work reminds me a bit of Garry Winogrand. Like him, she had an amazing ability to capture the energy and spontaneity of street life. Ultimately, the power of art lies in its ability to evoke, to suggest, and to leave us with more questions than answers.