Untitled (San Jose, Costa Rica) 1979

Curator: Bill Dane's photograph, simply titled "Untitled (San Jose, Costa Rica)," captures a group of people amongst a stand of trees and public telephones. It's a study in public life, intimacy, and the technology that mediates it. Editor: It's like a little theatre scene! All these figures caught in the act of communicating—or waiting to. The light feels almost oppressive, like a memory baking in the sun. Curator: Yes, Dane's work often explores these fleeting moments of connection. In this context, public phones were once vital. The photo reminds us that access to communication technology isn't, and never has been, universal. Who could afford these calls? Who was excluded? Editor: Exactly! It's a visual poem about accessibility and the economic strata embedded within communication. The trees act as a backdrop, reminding me of the natural world in stark contrast to these metal booths. Curator: I think what's powerful here is how Dane refrains from judging. There's a quiet observation—just people, trying to reach each other. Editor: And maybe that's the point, right? Reaching out—across distances, across divides—is a fundamentally human endeavor. This image captures the messy, sometimes beautiful, ways we attempt that.