Regine's, New York City 1977

Larry Fink shot this photograph, Regine’s, New York City, sometime in the late twentieth century. It looks like he waded right into the thick of it, the party, the people, the smoke, and the drinks. I think about what it was like to be Larry, holding the camera in that moment. The decisive moment, as Cartier-Bresson would say. He's moving around that nightclub trying to capture something. To distill it. Is he trying to find the truth? Is there a truth to find? It feels more like he is trying to pin down a feeling: the excitement and exhaustion of the beautiful people. And the image is grainy. The silver gelatin adds another layer of complication to it all. Another layer of feeling. There’s something about the attitude of this photograph and other photographers like Diane Arbus, Lisette Model, and Nan Goldin. It feels like they're saying, 'I see you, I’m with you, and we’re all in this together.' It’s a kind of empathy that comes from being an artist looking at other people, trying to understand their lives and experiences.