Untitled (empty office) c. 1950

This photograph, by Robert Burian, captures an empty office space, and in its ghostly monochrome, speaks volumes about labor, and its place in contemporary society. While the image itself is a product of photographic processes, consider also the materials that define the office space itself. Desks, chairs, filing cabinets, telephones, and typewriters, all arranged in a grid-like formation, speak to the regimented nature of office work. Notice the textures: the smooth, hard surfaces of the desks and cabinets, the woven fabric of the chairs, and the complex machinery of the typewriters and telephones. These are all products of industrial manufacturing, made possible by advances in technology and the division of labor. The emptiness of the office amplifies the themes, alluding to the alienation of labor in a capitalist society. The photograph invites reflection on the relationship between workers, their tools, and the spaces they inhabit. By focusing on these details, Burian’s photograph challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft, highlighting the social and cultural significance embedded in everyday objects and spaces.