Boston (When the lights go out in this small Boston shelter, men sleep on cots on one side of the room, women on the other. Tammy and Rodney try to share a tender moment, but privacy does not exist in this crowded environment.) 1999

Betsy Karel made this photograph, in Boston, of a scene in a shelter, sometime in the recent past. The image is rendered in shades of grey, a tonal study where textures and patterns emerge from the shadows. This approach feels connected to the history of photography, and to the way a document can also be a work of artistic interpretation. The blankets have a real presence here, each crease and fold described with such careful attention to light and shade. You can almost feel the coarse wool against your skin. And look at the way the checked curtain in the background creates this dizzying, disorienting pattern, that speaks to the lack of privacy, and personal space. The contrast in the photograph is subtle but strong. This image reminds me a little of the work of Dorothea Lange. Both photographers share an interest in capturing the everyday lives of people who are often overlooked. Ultimately, what connects these artists, is that their art offers a powerful and intimate lens through which to see and experience the world.