Untitled (Sears and Theater) c. 1950

Here we have Robert Burian's photograph of "Sears and Theater". It's a silver gelatin print, so it's got that classic, grainy texture that I love about photography. I feel like it could have been found in a family album. What strikes me is the composition: the Sears building looming over the Brews R'Us Theater. The contrast between the textures of the brickwork, the glass windows and the typography of the signage, that is, a kind of map-making. I enjoy how Burian has captured a specific slice of Americana, the mundane architecture of everyday life elevated through careful composition. There’s something about the light, too. It gives the whole scene an almost ghostly feel, like a memory fading at the edges, a nod to artists like Bernd and Hilla Becher. Ultimately, this is a work about seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world in new ways.