Untitled (dance floor at ball) c. 1966

This photograph of a dance floor at a ball was created by Robert Burian. The photograph is gelatin silver print, a process widely used in the 20th century. The gelatin provides a smooth surface to hold light-sensitive silver halide crystals, which react to light, capturing the image. These prints were popular due to their ease of production. The grayscale palette emphasizes form and light. The parquet wood floor is in sharp focus, while the dancers are captured in motion, adding a sense of spontaneity. The subjects wear formal attire, signifying a social class and a particular cultural context. There is also an empty glass on the floor, discarded; the photograph is as much about this abandoned refuse as it is about the dancers. Burian's image, therefore, transcends the traditional boundaries of fine art photography by capturing an unguarded moment during the ball. It encourages us to reconsider our definition of art and its relationship to labor, consumption, and the world around us.