New York c. 1942

This photograph, New York, by Helen Levitt, captures a fleeting moment, a slice of city life. I think about Levitt wandering through the streets, a quiet observer, her camera a tool for catching these unscripted scenes. There is a dynamic tension in this image. A child bending over, almost disappearing under the imposing bulk of an old car, tire in the gutter. The contrast of the soft, rounded body of the boy to the hard, cold metal of the car. It's a visual haiku, full of subtle rhymes. Light and shadow play across the surfaces. Levitt seemed to be drawn to the ephemeral nature of street life, the fleeting interactions and transient moments that make up the fabric of the city. I am reminded of other artists who capture the beauty of the everyday. Think of Garry Winogrand, Robert Frank, or Lisette Model. All these artists celebrate the messy, unscripted beauty of the world around us.