Teenage Couple on Hudson Street, N.Y.C. 1963

This photograph, "Teenage Couple on Hudson Street, N.Y.C." was made by Diane Arbus, though I don't know when. What hits me is the directness, the way Arbus just *goes for it* with these kids in their coats. It's not about pretty pictures but something rawer. Look at how the girl's coat is almost luminous against the brick, the way the surfaces are captured. You can almost feel the grit of the city, the slight awkwardness of the duo, and the unpretentious composition. It's this quality, this grit, that makes Arbus stand out. This particular area of the photograph makes me think about the way light and shadow can reveal and conceal, creating layers of meaning in the mundane. Arbus’s pictures always remind me of Lisette Model, who I guess was a mentor. Both were radical in their own ways, making art that challenged what photography could be, expanding what could be seen or imagined. They both understood that art isn't about answers, but about asking questions and opening up possibilities.