Barber Shop, New Orleans 1936

Walker Evans made this gelatin silver print, “Barber Shop, New Orleans,” and the way he plays with light and shadow reminds me of mark-making, like drawing with light. It’s about capturing a moment, but also about the process of seeing. The shop’s facade is covered in bold, diagonal stripes, a real optical jolt. It's flat but creates a visual push and pull, like a geometric painting. The photograph is rich in texture, from the cracked plaster to the ornate ironwork of the balconies above. Note the woman standing in the doorway; she has a calm presence amidst the graphic chaos. I love how Evans captures the everyday. Evans reminds me of the Neue Sachlichkeit photographers in Germany in the 20's, they all shared a similar interest in documenting the world around them with clarity and objectivity. For Evans, it’s about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. There’s beauty in that kind of observation.