Photograph-New York c. 20th century

This is "Photograph-New York," made by Paul Strand. I like the way Strand’s photograph holds a tension between the mundane and the monumental, a way of seeing that's both immediate and timeless. It reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper. You get a feeling of New York, but also the feeling that it could be anywhere, that it's more about an experience. I bet that Strand positioned himself on a high floor to capture this shot. I mean, how else would he get such a dynamic perspective, an unusual angle that shows so much of the building’s structures? He must have looked for ways to compress space. I really like that it’s not about perfection. It’s about the feeling that you could fall into this space or disappear. It’s a moment captured, a specific angle, but also an invitation to imagine New York as a site of instability, of potential and of something else that has to happen.