Lincoln Park, Chicago c. 1948

Harry Callahan made this photograph, Lincoln Park, Chicago, sometime in the middle of the 20th century. I love how the mundane is transformed through his eyes into something so stark and contemplative. I wonder what Callahan was thinking when he framed this shot. It's so minimal: a post, a chain, and maybe a stray piece of grass against a white expanse. It’s a bit like a Cy Twombly drawing, but with a camera. There’s a quietness, a stillness that invites you to pause. I imagine him wandering through the park, maybe on a cold day, noticing the geometry of this simple barrier, seeing the beauty in the ordinary. The contrast is so striking. The chain bisects the image, anchored by this weathered post. It reminds me of a musical score, the post like a vertical staff line, the chain a series of notes. Each link has its own shape, and shadow. In the end, it all comes down to how Callahan saw it, how he chose to share this moment with us.