New York 1987

Rosalind Solomon made this photograph, titled New York, sometime in the late 20th century. The high contrast black and white image has a raw, almost confrontational quality, typical of her work. The gritty texture of the print and the way the light falls feels like a physical presence, like you could reach out and touch the sweat on the boxer's brow. The subject is a man in a boxer's stance, but the domestic interior, full of posters and clutter, lends an intimate, vulnerable feeling to the image. Look at the way the bike mirrors the man's pose, almost like a shadow figure. Solomon's portraits often capture a sense of psychological intensity, exploring themes of identity, mortality, and social issues. There's a kind of Diane Arbus quality to it, a fascination with the interior lives of her subjects. But where Arbus is cool and detached, Solomon is empathetic, almost maternal. It's a powerful piece that invites us to reflect on the human condition, and the stories we carry within us.