New York 1987

Rosalind Solomon made this black and white photograph, called New York, sometime in the last century, probably with a large format camera. The tonality is so full, going from bright highlights on the skin to deep blacks in the beard and hair, but the way she's captured the man's gaze, looking right at us, it's like he's sharing a secret. The photograph is grainy and raw, not trying to hide anything, and it’s those dark spots on his body, like a map of his experiences, that tell a story the portrait behind him can’t. Look at the way his body is positioned, almost like a dance, so confident. Thinking about other photographers who use portraiture to explore identity, I think about Diane Arbus. Both artists create an emotional space around the artwork. Ultimately, photographs are not just about what you see, but what you feel, right?