New York 1987

Rosalind Solomon made this photograph, “New York”, with gelatin silver. It's a crisp black and white, a direct capture of a moment. You can see Solomon isn't trying to hide the process, the light's a bit flat, the composition straightforward. There's a realness here that gets under your skin. The texture of their clothes, the stark hospital setting, all rendered with such clarity, it's almost confrontational. Look at the man's hands, the woman’s face, every line and wrinkle tells a story. The details are what makes this image so powerful, the lines map a history. The almost casual touch of the woman's hand on the man's arm becomes monumental. It reminds me a little of Diane Arbus, that same unflinching gaze. But Solomon brings something else, a warmth, a kind of empathy that invites you in, even when it's uncomfortable. Art isn't always about beauty, sometimes it's about bearing witness.