William Miller and Family, Twentieth-Anniversary Party, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania 1978

Larry Fink made this photograph, William Miller and Family, Twentieth-Anniversary Party, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania, sometime in the last century. It’s a dark and intimate picture, like a memory that’s both clear and obscured. The contrast is so strong, it’s like Fink is carving the image out of the shadows. I’m drawn to the way the light catches the woman's floral dress, each petal a tiny explosion of detail against the dark fabric. It’s all about texture here. The way the light grazes the surface creates a palpable sense of depth, pulling you into the scene. And that cigarette, just a tiny bright spot, a fleeting moment of light and smoke that speaks volumes about the passage of time. Fink’s work reminds me of Diane Arbus, with its unflinching gaze and focus on the beauty and strangeness of everyday life. It’s not about perfection, it’s about honesty. Art is about embracing the messy, imperfect beauty of the world.