Untitled, Shenango Ingot Molds (Working People series) 1978 - 1981

Here's a silvery toned gelatin print by Milton Rogovin, part of his Working People series, and it really gets you thinking about labor, doesn't it? You can almost feel the weight of the world on these guys' shoulders, the sweat, the grime – you know, the everyday stuff. I imagine Rogovin, camera in hand, stepping into this intense industrial scene. The composition, cropped tight, throws us right into the thick of it. What were these workers thinking as they’re doing this repetitive action, day in, day out? It makes me think of other artists, like the social realists, who were also capturing these kinds of scenes. There's something about the way Rogovin frames this scene that makes you consider not just their work, but their humanity. It’s a conversation, you know? Across time, across mediums, artists are all in this together, trying to make sense of the world, one gesture at a time.