London 1973

Walker Evans made this photograph, called London, with film and camera, sometime in the mid twentieth century. It's this incredible, accidental composition, a seemingly random assortment of things. We see a fence, haphazardly constructed, and behind it, bricks and some kind of cart, all set against a backdrop of London buildings and trees. It’s like a still life that arranged itself. I think what grabs me is the way Evans turns the ordinary into something special. He’s not trying to pretty things up; instead, he’s looking closely at the world around him. He's making sure we don't overlook the beauty in the everyday. It reminds me of Eugène Atget, who photographed Paris with the same attention to detail. It's like both artists are saying, "Hey, look at this! Isn't it something?" And it really is.