Street Champion, 4th Ward, Houston, Texas Possibly 1986 - 1998

Earlie Hudnall Jr. made this photograph, "Street Champion, 4th Ward, Houston, Texas," using gelatin silver. Look at the composition: a frieze of kids, a row of washing hung out to dry on the porch—it almost reads as performative, a scene set for a play. You can imagine the scene emerging through looking, seeing, composing, and framing. I wonder what Hudnall was thinking when he took it. Was he focusing on that kid throwing the ball, catching the energy and playfulness of childhood? I love the texture, the light, and the physicality of the silver gelatin. It's thin, crisp, and so very clear. That gesture, that arm throwing the ball—it’s a moment of intention and power that can communicate so much feeling about a time and place. Photographers like Hudnall, like painters, are in conversation across time, inspiring each other's creativity. This image offers a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.