New York, 2004, at the Empire State Building Possibly 2004 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien took this photograph, "New York, 2004, at the Empire State Building," at the Empire State Building in 2004. You know, when I look at this image, I think about how tricky it is to capture a moment. It is a photograph, yes, but it's also a painting. I am thinking of Gerhard Richter here, for whom a photograph is only the beginning. Rubinfien crops the image tightly, framing the subjects against the hazy sky and the steel infrastructure. It’s not just about the view, but the feeling of being there, suspended between the sky and the city below. What were these people thinking? The woman seems lost in thought. It is a really simple image but one that has a lot of depth. You can feel the wind in her hair. The image evokes the shared human experience of pause and reflection amidst the bustle of city life. It makes us consider the ways in which we are all connected, both to our environment and to one another. I really love this artist's perspective.