Police Line/Do Not Cross Possibly 1990 - 1994

Jim Goldberg made this photograph, “Police Line/Do Not Cross,” using black and white film. I can imagine Goldberg thinking about the relationship between presence and absence when composing this photograph. What remains after the event? The angle he has chosen is unusual, offering a new and unsettling perspective on the typical crime scene shot. I imagine Goldberg walking around, considering different viewpoints and playing with the composition. The starkness of the black and white creates a sense of heightened tension, emphasizing the boundary between the viewer and the scene. Goldberg is in dialogue with other photographers and artists who have grappled with similar themes of social justice, memory, and violence. This is how artworks build on each other, echoing across time. There is something left unsaid, open, ambiguous, and that's where we as viewers come in, bringing our own perspectives and experiences to the work.