Untitled (long table set for tea) 1949

This untitled photograph of a long table set for tea, sits at the Harvard Art Museums. It has been printed in reverse as the image is a photographic negative. I’m interested in how the monochrome palette, almost entirely devoid of tonal variation, flattens the space and makes it difficult to read. The dark surface of the floor, reflects a ghostly mirror of the table setting, making the scene feel both ordinary and otherworldly. Notice how the table is laden with cakes, sandwiches and floral displays, all signs of a ritual that remains obscure. The presence of two individuals, their faces obscured by shadow, enhances the dreamlike quality of the image. It feels staged and yet the space is real, grounded in the familiar elements of a school gymnasium. This image reminds me of the work of Cindy Sherman, who, like Burian, uses photography to explore themes of identity, representation, and the construction of reality. The photograph offers no easy answers, instead inviting us to embrace ambiguity and find our own meaning within its layers of visual information.