Victor (Lower West Side series) 1984

Milton Rogovin made this photograph of Victor as part of his Lower West Side series. It's an image built from a simple palette of grays, but that tonal constraint actually opens up a world of subtle variation, much like a Morandi painting. Look at the brick wall, the way each brick has its own texture, its own little shadow. See the rough surface, then notice the smooth plane of the sidewalk, all in monochrome. Then there is Victor himself, posing with a relaxed confidence. His crop top and curly hair, set against that brick, it's a real moment, captured. Rogovin reminds me of someone like Helen Levitt, in his ability to find the extraordinary in the everyday. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art doesn’t always need to shout; sometimes the quietest voices resonate the loudest.