New York, 1980

Artist: Helen Levitt

Photo: New York, 1980

The playful aspects that brings this photo together is what draws the eye to not only the subject, but the work as a whole. The contrast of the green and blue cars provides a nice balance in color seeing as the rest of the photo is set to very bland or unsaturated tones. The form of the girl also adds a sense of mystery and wonderment as to the time and place of the photo. Street photography was one of Levitt's favorite genres to capture mainly because she lived there most of her life and she able to express New York as it appears. The odd positioning may represent the childish notions of the girl while she is either trying to get under the car or simply look at herself in the shiny hubcap. The grainy texture of the photo makes the audience feel it's antiqueness along with the desaturation of the photo all together. Levitt had a special view of children, saying they were small adults living in a world of wonder and excitement. The fact that this photo is not staged gives the audience a hint to her relationship with children and how she liked to portray them. Her ability to combine well-contrasted colors and funny, intriguing subject matter results in a remarkable, beautifully simplistic photo.