Untitled (men playing basketball, crowd watching) 1948

Robert Burian made this gelatin silver print, showing a basketball game, and its surrounding advertising. The traditional darkroom process involves a chemical reaction. Light is projected onto a light-sensitive paper, which is then developed. This produces a unique photographic object. What I find striking about this image is the context the game takes place within. It's surrounded by advertisements for local businesses. Consider the weight of commerce bearing down on the players. There are ads for tires, batteries, radios, appliances, beer. All the trappings of mid-century consumer culture. It’s as if the very game itself is somehow brought to you by these vendors. The photograph is a captured moment, but also a document of its time. It speaks to the ever-blurring lines between leisure, labor, and relentless promotion. By emphasizing the materiality and social context, we come closer to understanding its full meaning. It is a powerful reminder that art, like life, is always made in relation to its surroundings.