Untitled (golf tournament, announcer under umbrella) c. 1950

This small photograph, taken by Robert Burian, captures a golf tournament, with an announcer under an umbrella. What strikes me is how the photographic process itself becomes a kind of performance here. The image is full of contrasts and reversals. The negative exposure gives everything a ghostly quality, highlighting the textures of the crowd and the geometric shapes of the umbrella. The materiality of the photograph - the grain, the scratches, the high contrast – all speak to the ways in which art isn't just about capturing a scene, but about transforming it. Look closely at the way the figures in the crowd blur into a single mass. It’s like Burian is more interested in the act of seeing than in what is being seen. Like the work of Lisette Model, Burian's photograph reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, full of happy accidents and unexpected discoveries. It's a reminder to embrace the ambiguity and enjoy the process.