Clyde Norbert, from Rich and Poor Possibly 1978 - 1984

Jim Goldberg made this gelatin silver print, with applied ink, as part of his “Rich and Poor” series. It’s a black and white photo, but it’s really about contrasts, right? The grays are gentle, a kind of soft focus, but then you notice the words scrawled in ink: “I am going to build an empire.” It’s so bold. The photo itself, it's got this everyday kind of realness – a guy standing in what looks like a living room, not much light, a TV, a chair. But the words, they're like a dare, almost like a kid’s dream. I love how the ink bleeds into the paper, it is this reminder that the photograph captures one moment, but the person and the idea they are building is alive, it has movement. It reminds me of Nan Goldin, the way she captures these raw, intimate moments. Goldberg's work invites us into a story, but it's a story with no ending, just possibilities.