Untitled (Richmond, Cal) 1980

Curator: Bill Dane's small, silver gelatin print, "Untitled (Richmond, Cal)," has such a blue-collar feel. Editor: Exactly! It's a somber portrait, all grays and tired poses; he looks like he's waiting for quitting time. Curator: Dane often focused on the overlooked, capturing the quiet dignity of everyday labor. He distributed many of his photographs via postcard—an act of radical democratization. Editor: Interesting, he really captured the vibe of the working class, and you can see so much detail in the workers' uniform that would be easily ignored. It's a great picture. Curator: There's a certain poetry in finding beauty in the mundane. It makes you think. Editor: Absolutely. It's a testament to the power of photography to elevate the ordinary.