Untitled (Berkeley) 1982

Curator: Bill Dane's untitled photographic print captures a startling juxtaposition, doesn’t it? The Harvard Art Museums hold this work of his. Editor: It feels like a punch to the gut. Two hulking trash bins, one defaced with ugly graffiti, the other bearing an unsettling image. There’s something deeply unsettling about it. Curator: Dane often used the postal service to distribute his work, integrating art into everyday life. These images reflect the detritus of society, both literal and figurative. Editor: Yes, the raw, unvarnished depiction of urban decay, the stark black and white… it’s confrontational. But the trash cans feel almost like they're placed as altars, or shrines to something. Curator: Perhaps to the marginalized voices, the disregarded realities of Berkeley. It's a reminder of the social fabric. Editor: It's gritty and real, the kind of art that lingers in your mind long after you've seen it. Almost like a bad dream, or like a feeling you can't quite place. Curator: A potent blend of the mundane and the provocative that certainly challenges our perceptions. Editor: Absolutely. It makes you think, and isn't that the point?