Untitled (group portrait of doctors) c. 1945

Robert Burian made this photograph of a group of doctors, but we don't know when. It feels like looking at something through a strange filter, almost like a dream, where everything is familiar yet somehow off-kilter. What strikes me is the stark contrast. It’s all in grayscale, but the tones are so sharp, creating a kind of ghostly effect. The image is full of texture, from the dark suits to the intricate patterns on the rug. You can almost feel the cool, smooth surface of the photographic paper. The image as a whole feels kind of heavy, formal, but there's also something playful about it, especially in the way the light catches the faces of the men. It reminds me a bit of some of the works by Lisette Model, who also played with contrast and light to create these slightly surreal, yet deeply human portraits. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art, like memory, is always a process of interpretation. We see what we want to see.