Jimmy Webster (Lower West Side series) 1992

Milton Rogovin made this photograph, Jimmy Webster, with a camera and black and white film; we see the world of the Lower West Side of the city through his eyes. It is a classic portrait, and there’s nothing splashy about Rogovin’s choices; it’s a straight-up documentary style. The texture of the silver gelatin print is smooth; the tones are deep and velvety, which give a feeling of dignity and directness. The image is sharply focused, not abstract or blurry, but full of detail. Look at the confident stance of the young man, how his arms are akimbo. The number '60' on the wall is like an accent mark, the only place in the picture with such high contrast. It draws my eye, and makes me wonder what kind of place this is, who lives here, and what kind of work he is doing on the building. Rogovin’s project makes me think of the WPA photographers of the 1930s; he is interested in documenting the lives of everyday people and the communities they inhabit. Ultimately, this photograph embraces ambiguity, leaving us space to ask our own questions.