New York 1987

Rosalind Solomon made this photograph, titled New York, using black and white film. The tonality is a study in contrasts, and the way Solomon lets the light fall tells us everything we need to know about process. It’s like she’s building a sculpture with light, each shadow carefully placed to reveal a new form. Take the subject's face, for instance. See how one side is bathed in light, while the other is softly obscured by shadow? It gives him this almost uncanny depth, as though he's stepping out of the frame and into your headspace. I’m reminded of Diane Arbus, and her ability to capture her subjects with such directness. But Solomon’s image feels different. The subject, the lighting, the shadows, there’s a tender sensitivity at play that keeps you looking. And isn't that what art is all about, really? A way of seeing, and a way of being seen.