Marcos (by door) Possibly 1992 - 1994

Jim Goldberg created this photograph of Marcos sometime in the late 20th century, and I immediately want to know what was it like to be there, in that room, with those guys. The image has a particular kind of intimacy to it. The way Marcos looks straight at us, almost confrontational, invites you to be close. There's a realness here, something raw and unguarded. The image flickers in the starkness of the composition and lighting. It is like the bare bones of a moment. There is something collaborative in the image, like a quiet conversation between Goldberg and Marcos. It is in that dialogue that the photograph becomes more than just a document; it becomes an act of witnessing, an act of bearing witness to each other’s humanity. It reminds me of Nan Goldin's work, it feels like part of a larger conversation about how we see and how we’re seen.