New York, 2003, at Canal Street and Broadway Possibly 2003 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien made this gelatin silver print, New York, 2003, at Canal Street and Broadway. The silvery quality of the print really makes you think about the process, the darkroom and the developing of the image; this isn’t about a quick snap! The contrast is beautiful, but it’s the composition that gets me. Our guy is off-center, almost pushed to the side, as if he’s emerging from the architecture itself. The texture of the concrete next to him is so rough and pitted, compared to his smooth skin. Light catches his face, especially his eyes, so you're drawn to him, even though he isn’t filling the frame. This photograph reminds me of some of the gritty street photography of the 1940s. Rubinfien makes me think of Lisette Model with his bold and direct approach. It’s about seeing, and really looking, at the world around you, finding beauty in the everyday. And, like all good art, it asks more questions than it answers.