Dance in Brooklyn 1955

Editor: William Klein's "Dance in Brooklyn," from 1955, a gelatin-silver print, strikes me as incredibly energetic. There's this blurry figure of a young girl, arms raised, and then these figures further away who are also in motion. What is it that stands out to you about this piece? Curator: What grabs my attention is the deliberate disruption of photographic norms. Consider the social context: in the mid-1950s, there was a drive to depict a sanitized, prosperous image of America. Klein, however, presents us with something rawer, a deliberate blurring that feels almost confrontational. Does it strike you as a 'realistic' depiction of 1950s America? Editor: I don't think it's trying to be purely documentary, no. It feels…messier, maybe more true to the actual lived experience, than the idyllic images we usually see. The graininess also suggests something of its time. Curator: Exactly. The image rejects the notion of the camera as a purely objective recorder. Look at how Klein positions the girl; not centered, slightly out of focus. Consider also the historical context. Photography was gaining ground as an accepted form of artistic expression, but it still wrestled with its documentary purpose. Klein almost seems to be challenging this. Do you see how the 'dance' can be interpreted beyond just literal movement? Editor: Hmm, you mean like a dance between control and chaos, or even between different social realities existing side-by-side? The girl’s exuberance and those distant figures’ reserve are a huge contrast. Curator: Precisely! And consider Brooklyn itself, a microcosm of American society. What power dynamics or social critiques do you think this snapshot could be making? Editor: It gives a sense of everyday people existing in their ordinary roles without the added layer of American exceptionalism, so its really just about their ordinary lives. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to question how social forces influence the way we see, interpret, and ultimately, remember our history. I’ve gained a better understanding about the role and potential for art to speak truthfully of everydayness! Editor: Absolutely! This has really opened my eyes to the potential of street photography as a tool for social commentary, which has been something I hadn’t seriously thought about.