Dorothy Vogel, Subway 1976

This is a photograph of Dorothy Vogel taken by Dorothy Alexander, we don't know when or with what camera, exactly. But imagine the light! There's a directness in Alexander's portraiture, an intensity that captures not just likeness but something deeper. You see the subway signs behind her, and you get a sense of a life lived in New York. I am thinking about her as she holds the camera, steadying it. I get the feeling she knew Dorothy well and there was trust between them. A single gesture, a slight movement of the camera – it all contributes to the overall feeling. It's like they are having a conversation with each other, like painters do, responding to what’s in front of them, finding new directions. And there's the exchange between artists across time. We are all adding to the conversation. Each brushstroke, each photograph, is part of this dialogue. It’s a deeply personal and universal thing.