Untitled (Storefront Churches series) 1958 - 1961

This photograph, part of Milton Rogovin's Storefront Churches series, captures a moment of raw emotion, a kind of collaborative energy, with light and shadow. There's a real intimacy in the way Rogovin frames the pianist and the singer. The texture of the wall, with its cracks and imperfections, becomes a kind of backdrop to their performance. The light seems to emphasize the singer's upward gaze, while the pianist is bent over the keys, anonymous. It feels like the music is coming from some place deep inside. Think about someone like Roy DeCarava, another photographer who found beauty in the everyday. Rogovin, like DeCarava, shows us how art isn't just about perfection, it's about capturing the messy, beautiful truth of a moment. There's a real sense of community here, a shared experience. And that, to me, is what art is all about.