Graffiti, Visage, rue Médéah 1950

Brassai made this photograph of graffiti on the rue Médéah, at some point, using a camera. It's more than just a snapshot. It's a record of process, a dialogue between Brassai, the anonymous street artist, and the wall itself. Look closely at the graffito on the left. See the way the skull is carved, raw and immediate? The artist wasn’t trying to trick us into seeing a smooth illusion. They wanted you to feel the scrape of the tool, the texture of the stone. It’s about the physical act of making, just like painting. The high contrast gives it a timeless feel. It could be ancient, or from yesterday. And isn't that what art is all about? A conversation across time, a way of seeing that connects us to something bigger than ourselves, like Cy Twombly's mark making, or cave paintings. It’s an invitation to slow down, to look, and to feel the weight of history in a simple mark.