Rhea, Echo, Twack Jack, and the Baby Possibly 1991 - 1994

Jim Goldberg made this gelatin silver print, titled Rhea, Echo, Twack Jack, and the Baby. The choice of black and white photography is crucial. It’s a classic documentary medium, associated with truth-telling, yet the image here is anything but straightforward. Goldberg has captured a moment of intimate vulnerability. But it’s his use of the photographic process that elevates the work beyond simple documentation. He coaxes a full range of tones, from the bright whites of the bedsheets to the deep blacks of the clothing, rendering every wrinkle of skin and fabric with palpable texture. The labor involved in traditional darkroom printing – the precise timing, the careful dodging and burning – mirrors the care and attention given to the vulnerable figures depicted. This act of witnessing and recording, done with technical mastery, is an ethical undertaking. Goldberg’s commitment to the materiality of photography adds depth to the photograph, inviting us to consider the social implications embedded in every artistic choice.