Woman and Boy, Tenancingo Possibly 1933 - 1967

Paul Strand made this image of a woman and boy in Tenancingo using photography sometime during his lifetime. I can feel Strand thinking about Diego Rivera and Mexican Muralism when he made this – his attempt to bring a sense of revolution to photography. Look at the woman’s gaze and the boy’s stance. They seem strong and self-possessed, yet weary. I bet he stood there for a long time, waiting for the perfect light, to capture a sense of the everyday with an air of monumentality. He’s playing with geometric forms, the shapes of their clothing, contrasting with the rougher texture of the wall. There’s a real conversation happening between the photographer and his subjects. It's like a dance between the eye, the lens, and the soul. He's speaking to painters as much as he’s speaking to the world.