The Artist Lives Dangerously, San Francisco c. 1938 - 1989

This photograph, *The Artist Lives Dangerously, San Francisco*, was captured by John Gutmann. It's this incredibly straightforward yet layered black and white image. The high contrast and sharp focus draw you into the scene, a city street where a child is creating a chalk drawing. It’s all about the relationship between the ephemeral and the permanent, the real and the represented. I love how the white chalk lines pop against the dark asphalt, and the kid is right there, becoming part of their creation. The gritty texture of the street, the shadows cast by the car… Gutmann wasn’t trying to hide anything; he embraces the real. Look at the figure drawn by the child: it's rudimentary, almost childlike, but it has a dynamism. Gutmann often explored social dynamics and the surreal aspects of everyday life, something he has in common with Garry Winogrand. Both artists find poetry in the mundane, revealing the strange beauty in the ordinary. It’s not about perfection. It’s about capturing a moment in time, the magic of process, and letting the unexpected unfold.