Sugar (Lower West Side series) 1973

Milton Rogovin made this photograph as part of his ‘Lower West Side series’. There's a realness to the image. It's not overly composed or staged, which gives it a very intimate feel. Look at the way the light catches the young woman’s features, it is soft and even, highlighting the texture of her hair. The grey scale adds to the documentary feel, but it also brings a sense of timelessness. Notice how the shadows fall, creating depth. See the way the light illuminates the pages of the notebook she's holding. Her pose is both casual and self-aware. She looks directly at the camera, pencil in mouth, exuding a quiet confidence. It's a portrait of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, her gaze holding a mix of vulnerability and strength. Rogovin’s style reminds me a little of Helen Levitt, both capturing the everyday poetry of city life. Art is, after all, a conversation between artists and across time. It is never about definitive meanings.