" Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them”
~ Elliott Erwitt
(1928-2023)
Elliott’s long and productive career has certainly produced many joyous images which we all know and love. What has perhaps been somewhat overlooked is his deeply serious and concerned work, up there with the likes of W Eugene Smith and Robert Frank both of whom he knew well. I think this is image is up there with any great photograph to come out of the Civil Rights movement. In one simple, well constructed frame he encapsulates its central theme like no others. The urgent demand for dignity, justice, and equality. In today’s atmosphere—where questions of civil rights, racial justice, and the fight against systemic inequality remain as pressing as ever—this image feels especially relevant.
