Untitled (Lower West Side series) 1986

This black and white photograph by Milton Rogovin captures a couple from his ‘Lower West Side series’. They stand against a metal door, with the man holding a framed portrait of their family. Rogovin spent years documenting the lives of working-class families, approaching his subjects with respect and empathy. Look at how the frame in the man's hands has a kind of double meaning, right? On the one hand, it is the photographic portrait of his family and on the other, the framing of the couple in the photograph, giving their lives meaning. I wonder what it was like for Rogovin to connect with these families, to be invited into their lives and trusted to tell their stories. It must have been a delicate dance, balancing the role of observer with that of a compassionate human being. Rogovin's work reminds me that art has the power to bridge divides and create understanding, inviting us to see the world through the eyes of others.