Street musicians in Maynardville 1935

Ben made this photograph, "Street Musicians in Maynardville", to capture a moment of music and humanity. The tonal range of grays and blacks suggests an intuitive process, a direct response to the scene unfolding before the artist’s lens. There's a beautiful balance between the rough texture of the ground and the smoother surfaces of the instruments and clothing. I’m really drawn to the man on the left, the way his hands are clasped together speaks volumes. You can almost feel the weight of untold stories and quiet dignity in his posture. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about what kind of music they're playing and what it means to them? Ben’s work here reminds me a little of the stark realism you see in some of Walker Evans' photographs. Art, like music, is about shared experience, a conversation that echoes through time.