Handball Players, Houston Street, New York c. 1969

Editor: Leon Levinstein's photograph, "Handball Players, Houston Street, New York," created around 1969, presents a monochrome image of two men in motion. There's a raw energy in this picture; the lead figure’s action feels both athletic and kind of confrontational. What's your take on this piece? Curator: This image powerfully resonates with the documentary photography tradition, reflecting social realities. I see the photograph working within a larger discourse, namely, questioning who has the right to represent reality? Levinstein's gaze here frames urban recreation, specifically for working-class men. Does the choice of representing this demographic rather than a more ‘aesthetic’ one suggest something about social commentary to you? Editor: It definitely shifts my thinking! So it’s about what he chooses to focus on, rather than just how he does it? Is it fair to link it to something like the Ashcan school, emphasizing everyday life? Curator: Absolutely, but with key distinctions. Where the Ashcan School painted immigrant experiences in large city settings, the camera changes everything. It becomes both more democratized and carries new representational challenges and the photographer’s unavoidable subjectivity. Photography brought a level of realism painting struggled to reach. Also, by the late 60s, there were definitely heightened debates about who gets to be the author or voice of the working classes. Does Levinstein bring insider status in representing this activity, or does it rather cast the players as under some scrutinizing ‘outsider’s’ light? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered that! I see this photograph now not only as an image of people playing, but as a snapshot of societal viewpoints, a very loaded perspective. Curator: Precisely. It demonstrates how the photographer can both reveal and conceal societal values in an seemingly straightforward depiction. What we’ve really highlighted here is photography’s potential to become something very rich.