Pat Sabatine's Eleventh Birthday, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania 1980

Larry Fink made this gelatin silver print, "Pat Sabatine's Eleventh Birthday, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania", using light and shadow like pigment. Look at the way the light clings to the faces around the table. It's a dance between what's revealed and what's kept hidden. The texture here is palpable, even in monochrome. The way the light falls on the crinkled snack bags, the shiny party hats, you can almost hear the rustling of the room. Fink isn't interested in perfection; he’s capturing a moment, a feeling. Check out how he frames the mother figure. One hand on her hip, and the other holding a beer, with the light catching her face. It's raw, a bit messy, but totally real. Fink’s work reminds me a bit of Nan Goldin, capturing those intimate, unvarnished moments. It's not about perfect composition, it’s about life, with all its beautiful imperfections.