Marcos (on Polk Street) Possibly 1987 - 1994

This black and white photograph titled Marcos (on Polk Street) was captured by Jim Goldberg. It feels like a snapshot, like the artist quickly reached for their camera, didn't have time to think, just *click*. You know, I imagine Goldberg walking the streets, his mind open, his eye trained to catch a glimpse of something unexpected. Maybe he saw Marcos standing there, framed by the urban landscape, and felt an urge to capture a moment of their life. The composition isn't perfect, it's a bit off-kilter, raw. But that’s what makes it so compelling. The grainy texture adds to the feeling of immediacy. It reminds me of the work of other street photographers like Diane Arbus or Garry Winogrand, who were also drawn to the margins of society. But Goldberg brings his own sensibility, an intimacy and empathy. Photographers, like painters, are always responding to what came before, pushing the boundaries of the medium. It’s an ongoing conversation across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and representing the world. I bet this photograph has inspired countless other photographers to pick up their cameras and hit the streets.