Untitled (performers wearing women's clothes) 1946

This black and white photograph by Robert Burian captures a group of performers in women’s clothing. I’m thinking about how this image came to be. In the darkroom, Burian might have felt a sense of excitement, watching the image slowly emerge. It’s cool how the negative space creates a ghostly, ethereal quality. The texture of the dresses, the details in the accessories—it’s all so delicate. I wonder what the performers were thinking, what kind of show they were putting on. Maybe they were challenging societal norms, pushing boundaries. Burian was part of a creative dialogue that was happening through photography, not just with painting but with theatre and design. It's a reminder that art isn’t created in a vacuum. It’s a conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. This photograph invites us to consider the complex layers of identity, performance, and representation. It is cool how it leaves room for interpretation.