Untitled (Storefront Churches series) 1958 - 1961

Milton Rogovin's photograph captures an image hanging on a wall, probably from his Storefront Churches series. The print, in shades of grey, shows Jesus sitting pensively, his head slightly bowed. I love how Rogovin seems to preserve the texture of the place, the cracking and peeling of the plaster above a layer of brickwork. I want to know what the artist felt when he came across this scene. Was it a spiritual feeling? A sense of being in touch with something bigger than himself? The image of Jesus contrasts with the wall on which it’s placed. What might have been the reason for framing the picture in that way? Rogovin was a humanist. He seems to ask viewers to feel compassion and empathy towards ordinary people, in their everyday settings. He made portraits, documenting the lives of working-class families, and social issues, such as poverty, and urban decay. As a painter, I know that artists are constantly inspired by the world around them, and what I love about Rogovin's practice is how he turns the world into art.