Wandering boy, Camp Carlton, California 1935

This photograph by Dorothea Lange captures a young man at Camp Carlton, California. It’s a portrait, but the subject’s gaze shifts away from the viewer. I wonder what it was like for Lange to make this image, how long she may have spent with the boy to capture his essence. The boy has a certain youthful energy that reminds me of the early portraits by Alice Neel, that captured a fleeting moment in time. The light creates a soft focus, as the texture of his hair is highlighted with delicate tones of grey and white. There's a sense of vulnerability, perhaps a longing for something more. It’s almost as though the artist is in conversation with other photographers across time, picking up where others have left off. Lange’s picture reminds us that art is about exchange, and the constant dialogue between artists and viewers, across time.