The Damm family living in their car, Los Angeles 1987

Mary Ellen Mark made this photograph of the Damm family living in their car in Los Angeles, and it's a stark, intimate look at their reality. What strikes me is the composition, how the interior of the car becomes a sort of stage, framed by the open door. The texture of the image, the grittiness of the black and white, feels crucial, lending an almost documentary quality to the work. The light catches the faces of the children, tucked amongst pillows and plastic bottles, creating small pools of focus amidst the surrounding chaos. Look at the worn fabric of the car seat, the way it seems to be falling apart, like a physical manifestation of the family's struggles. It reminds me of Nan Goldin’s unflinching portraits, that same sense of closeness and raw honesty. Ultimately, it's a photograph that asks more questions than it answers, inviting us to consider the complexities of poverty and resilience. And that ambiguity, that space for interpretation, is what makes it so compelling.