View From Room 114, Pontiac Hotel Possibly 1992 - 1994

Jim Goldberg captured this view from Room 114 of the Pontiac Hotel with film and a camera. In this black and white image, I can almost feel the artist leaning against the window frame, finding a composition in the ordinary street scene below. The curtain’s soft folds create a frame within a frame, drawing your eye to the buildings, the street corner, the figures walking by. It reminds me of other artists’ fascination with windows, like Gerhard Richter's series of window paintings that are both abstract and figurative. Goldberg’s photograph feels like a similar exploration of space and light. I imagine him looking out at this view, day after day, finding new ways to see the same scene. It is an image, a moment that resonates with a sense of isolation, but also of observation and connection. Maybe that's what all artists do, peering out from their own rooms, trying to capture a fleeting glimpse of the world outside.