Untitled (row of houses seen from street) 1948

This photograph of a row of houses seen from the street was made by Robert Burian sometime in the twentieth century. The houses, each identical, are like mute witnesses. It’s interesting how the same subject can be depicted in infinite ways. What was Burian thinking, photographing such a bleak scene? It makes me think of those government photographers in the 30s, documenting the effects of the Dust Bowl on rural communities. There is a street and a telephone pole. It's a very physical photograph, which is to say, you can sense that it has been produced in some darkroom. Like the way artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas, through the darkroom Burian communes with the history of documentary photography. It’s a conversation across time, inspiring creativity and new ways of seeing.