Coney Island 1990

Madoka Takagi shot this photograph of Coney Island, sometime before 2015, and I'm struck by its melancholic quality. It’s all captured in black and white, which gives the scene a timeless, almost ghostly feel. Look at how Takagi plays with light and shadow, creating a layered effect. The textures are incredible—you can almost feel the rough surface of the building and the cool metal of the Wonder Wheel, with its crown motifs. The composition is so dynamic, the skeletal metal frame of the wheel on the right contrasts with the solid facade to the left, yet it’s all unified by these tonal shifts. It reminds me a little of the industrial landscapes captured by the Bechers, though Takagi brings her own sensibility to it. Both invite you to look again at what is usually overlooked. It's a reminder that there is beauty in the unexpected and that art can be found in the everyday, if we only take the time to see it.