Nairobi, 2004, on Accra Road Possibly 2004 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien made this photograph, "Nairobi, 2004, on Accra Road," sometime in 2004, and it feels like a conversation rather than a statement. The palette of blacks, whites, and grays feels like a foundation, almost like a charcoal sketch. There’s this incredible dance between the man’s dark complexion and the bright haze of the bus window behind him. I'm drawn to the way his eyes catch the light, so sharp and focused. The soft gradations of tone in his face lead me to wonder about the relationship of the man to the bus. The chipped paint and the dirt on the window contrast with his smooth skin. It is as if the bus is an indifferent witness to his life. Rubinfien reminds me a little bit of Garry Winogrand in the way he captures street life, but with a quieter, more introspective gaze. It makes me consider how we're all just passing through, leaving our marks on each other and the world, but also remaining strangers in a crowded street.