Untitled 2009 - 2011

This photograph was taken by John Gossage, who was born in 1946. His approach is less about the decisive moment, and more about a slow, accumulative observation. This image of two women struggling with a bicycle becomes a subtle commentary on visibility, labor, and the everyday performances of gender. We see one woman, leaning into the bike with all her strength, and the other with her arm extended, in a supportive stance. How often do we truly see the labor of women, especially older women? And what does it mean to see this labor, not as a grand gesture, but as a common struggle? Gossage makes us consider the dignity inherent in the everyday, and how social roles are so often etched onto our bodies. It's a photograph that quietly acknowledges the strength and resilience found in collective effort.