Oslin's Graduation Party, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania 1977

Curator: We’re looking at Larry Fink's 1977 gelatin-silver print, "Oslin's Graduation Party, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania." What's your first take? Editor: There's an immediate intimacy. The young couple's embrace feels shielded from the viewer, under the protective canopy of the tree, with this ordinary house in the back—very quiet and private despite the occasion. Curator: Indeed, Fink's work frequently blurs the lines between insider and outsider. Considering that gelatin-silver prints were pretty standard at the time, what about Fink’s processing and printing elevates it, makes it art instead of documentation? Editor: The high contrast is really crucial, it brings a specific romanticism. The dark blacks feel protective, enveloping the couple. The white building in the back takes on almost ethereal, dreamlike tones. Curator: That interplay of light and shadow is quite intentional in Fink's work. The way he crops the subjects also directs our gaze. Do you think the fact that this scene occurred at a graduation affects our reading of its symbolic qualities? Editor: Absolutely. Graduation is a powerful symbol. The tree—its roots, branches, and leaves–becomes an ancient visual stand-in, marking a transition from one state to another, adolescence to adulthood perhaps. We have these universal symbols of growth mixed with a very real moment. Curator: This resonates well with Fink’s attention to detail in social settings—a tension arising from labor divisions, class distinction, the camera’s physical presence… all processed and rendered as shades in grey in the final darkroom production. It is interesting, isn't it, that such deeply material issues end up becoming the substance for emotionally charged visual stories. Editor: Right, the black and white palette strips the image down, underscoring those primal symbols—love, shelter, hope—that endure across social strata. Knowing it was shot at a graduation emphasizes youth and new beginnings and the cyclical nature of life, presented as this stark contrast in Fink’s labor to realize the print in the darkroom. Curator: So, what's your takeaway from this piece, now that we've explored some of its depths? Editor: For me, it is an enduring reminder of the hopes we project onto life's milestones, solidified here within a moment. Curator: And I see Fink’s meticulous technical craft bringing to the fore not only social but also deeply felt elements.