Untitled (men on basketball team, group portrait) 1948

This photograph of a basketball team was made by Robert Burian using gelatin silver print. Look at the stark contrast, the way the tones have been inverted – it’s like seeing the world through an alternate lens. The medium itself, gelatin silver, feels almost like a ghost from photography's past. But there’s a beauty in that starkness, a directness that strips away all the fluff. There is one character standing slightly apart in a suit and tie, this might be the coach, an overseer, but his presence adds another layer of complexity to the group dynamic. Is he part of the team or separate from it? Burian's photograph reminds me of the work of artists like Diane Arbus, who found beauty in the everyday, the overlooked. It makes you think about how we look at the world, and how art can shift our perspective. In the end, it's about seeing more than what's on the surface.