Appalachia (Working People series) 1981

Milton Rogovin made this photograph, part of his "Working People" series, using, I imagine, a camera and film – tools of direct representation, seemingly objective. But look closer. The tonal range is really rich, going from near-black in the hollows of their faces, to light grey where the light catches the men's helmets and clothes. The texture comes through in the details: the rough cloth of their shirts, the smudges of coal dust on their skin. The contrast between these gritty details and the softness of the light creates a sense of intimacy. The light feels like it's coming from those headlamps, casting shadows that define their features, almost like a chiaroscuro painting. Think Caravaggio, but instead of saints, we have these workers. The eye is drawn to the small details: the number 29 on the helmet, the watch on the wrist, the names scrawled on the helmets. The way these details accumulate is powerful. Rogovin reminds me of someone like Jacob Lawrence, who painted the lives of working-class people with such dignity and respect. Both artists find beauty and humanity in the everyday, showing us that art is really about how we see each other.