New Year's Eve, American Legion, Bangor, Pennsylvania 1980

Larry Fink's photograph captures New Year's Eve at the American Legion in Bangor, Pennsylvania. It's a scene bursting with life, a tangle of bodies, and the kind of raw energy that feels both intimate and a little overwhelming. Looking at it, I can almost hear the music and the clinking of glasses. I bet Fink was right in the thick of it, moving around, trying to catch those fleeting moments of genuine emotion. The woman in the center, with her mouth wide open, could be singing or shouting, maybe just caught up in the moment. There's something so immediate and unfiltered about her expression. Fink's known for getting up close and personal with his subjects, and you can feel that here. It makes me think about Diane Arbus and the way she captured those unguarded moments, those little cracks in the surface where real life seeps through. I think artists like Fink, like Arbus, remind us that beauty and truth can be found in the most unexpected places.