Dance, American Legion, Bangor, Pennsylvania 1979

Larry Fink took this photograph, Dance, American Legion, Bangor, Pennsylvania. It is a document, but it is also a highly constructed moment. It makes me think of the kinds of decisions we make when we are making art. Look at the tonal range, from bright highlights to dark shadows, Fink is really working the contrast, and using that to bring out the characters. The composition is so alive. We’re right in the middle of the action, at the edge of the dance floor, or maybe at a table, witnessing this very particular kind of social energy. I keep coming back to the guy in the foreground. He’s got this look on his face, like he’s seen it all, or maybe he’s just bored. Fink’s known for his images of parties, but here he seems to be channeling a kind of Diane Arbus-like sensibility. Like her work, this embraces ambiguity, leaving you to wonder about the real story behind the image.