Disco, Levittown, L.I. 1978

Curator: Here we have Eric Baden's photograph, "Disco, Levittown, L.I.," from the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a silver gelatin print. Editor: The image pulsates. It's a tightly packed crowd, blurry, as if everyone is in constant motion. I feel a sense of claustrophobia but also excitement. Curator: Baden's choice to render the disco in stark black and white amplifies the study in contrasts. The light bounces off the disco balls, creating a dazzling effect. Editor: It's intriguing how Levittown, a planned suburban community often associated with conformity, becomes a site of collective abandon. Who is this crowd and what brought them all together? Curator: The composition draws the eye upward, toward those reflective orbs. They serve as a focal point, almost a beacon amidst the throng. Editor: I'm struck by how the anonymity of the figures allows for a broader reflection on nightlife and social interaction. The image also reminds me that these spaces were not always safe or accessible for everyone. Curator: Indeed. Baden's composition allows us to consider the interplay of form and content in this dynamic photograph. Editor: It’s a reminder that even in places of leisure, the politics of identity are always at play.