Casablanca, 2004, in a back street Possibly 2004 - 2014

In a back street in Casablanca, 2004, Leo Rubinfien captured this moment with his camera. I see a composition of faces, close together. One man looks down, his brow furrowed, while another, with a patterned cap, looks away. I wonder what it was like to be Rubinfien, finding this scene in a busy market, raising the camera, waiting. The image feels raw, unfiltered. I feel like I'm there, caught in the crowd. I see other faces blurred in the background, hinting at the life around them. The stark contrast emphasizes the details – the lines on the man’s face, the texture of his shirt. It's like a painting by Gerhard Richter where reality is both there and somehow also disappearing. Photography is a painting with light, isn’t it? The artist makes marks with light, not paint, trying to find some truth.