Untitled 1911

This photograph, by Lewis Hine, is a small monochrome print, an unassuming rectangle of layered grey tones. I wonder what it was like for Hine to make this image? He captures a group of workers outside a factory. A figure in braces casually leans against a railing, while others peek from a doorway further up. I see a network of ropes and pulleys, implying movement and industry. The scene feels so immediate, but also frozen in time. Photography has its own language and form. Light and shadow describe the architecture and the people within it. What does it mean to stop a moment? When the camera clicks, it speaks to the future. This photograph connects across time. I hope my paintings can do something like that.