Spring Thaw 1939

Louise Arnstein Freedman made "Spring Thaw", a black and white print, at an unknown date. There's something about the stark contrast that grabs me; it's like she’s not just showing us a scene, but also the bones of it. Look at the way she's handled the water blasting from the hose. It's not just water, it’s pure light, a stream of energy cutting through the urban gloom. And the figures, they’re almost like statues in a play, caught in this moment of action and reflection. The beauty here is in the rawness. It reminds me a little of some of the WPA prints, that same gritty realism, but with a kind of personal twist. It’s like Freedman is saying, "Here, look at this, the world is complex and messy, but there's beauty even in the thaw."