Untitled (Storefront Churches series) 1958 - 1960

Milton Rogovin captured this silver gelatin print as part of his Storefront Churches series. The image has such a wonderful mix of textures, from the peeling wallpaper to the sheen on the preacher’s face. I imagine Rogovin, with his camera, trying to capture this man’s sermon, trying to get that perfect shot. The angle is not quite straight on. We can only guess how many attempts it took for him to capture this scene. It makes me think about those storefront churches, full of passion, music, and community. There's a tenderness here, as a baby is being fed while the sermon is being preached; it really gets at the heart of what Rogovin's work is all about: ordinary people in their everyday lives. It's like he's saying, "Look, here's life, raw and real." It is a testament to the power of art to celebrate the beauty and dignity of the human spirit.