Parsons School of Design, New York City 1973

Larry Fink made this photograph, Parsons School of Design, New York City, using gelatin silver. It shows a fashionable woman, likely a student or guest at an event, holding a 7-Up. The framing and focus draw attention to the interplay of glamour and the everyday. Fink is known for his social documentary photography, often capturing scenes of social gatherings across class lines in the United States. His work frequently juxtaposes images of the wealthy with those of working-class individuals, inviting viewers to consider the subtle yet powerful ways that social class shapes identity and experience. Here, the setting of Parsons, a design school, further highlights the constructed nature of identity. To fully understand Fink's photographs, one can explore publications about social documentary photography and exhibition catalogues of his work. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.