Untitled (Lower West Side series) 1974

Editor: Here we have Milton Rogovin’s "Untitled (Lower West Side series)", a gelatin silver print from 1974. This portrait evokes such a specific time, but it also feels very raw and immediate. I'm particularly drawn to the texture and the subject's gaze. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: You know, that 'rawness' you mention? That’s everything. Rogovin wasn’t interested in pretty pictures. He had this almost anthropological approach; meeting the everyday person where they were, and then finding that place of common ground. He used his camera to amplify voices too often left unheard. I mean, look at the way this man stands against that door, marked with its own story and decay; do you feel that collaboration of subject and context? Editor: Absolutely. The background is just as important as the man himself. It almost feels like he's a part of the very fabric of the Lower West Side. Did Rogovin have a particular approach when engaging with his subjects? Curator: Yes, Rogovin had tremendous respect for the individual. Think of him not so much as a photographer, but as a listener with a lens. He returned to the same communities repeatedly over decades, documenting changes. Can you imagine earning that trust? His images aren't just documents of poverty, they are monuments to perseverance. I find them deeply humane. What about you? Editor: Hearing that really adds another layer to my understanding. It’s more than just a photograph; it’s a story co-authored by the subject and the artist. I think I came looking at composition, and now I leave with the subject and his context as equal voices. Curator: That’s wonderful. Because ultimately art, good art anyway, always reflects back on us and shapes how we perceive each other and the world.