New York City
Lee Friedlander
American, born 1934
1971
A 1971 gelatin silver print by Lee Friedlander that freezes a taut, intimate moment at a small social gathering, aiming to expose the performative drama of everyday American life.
The flash-driven, high-contrast picture hits you with close-cropped, formally dressed figures caught mid-gesture—cigarettes raised, a cluttered side table and heavy curtains that make the room feel both candid and staged.
This work exemplifies Friedlander’s collapse of public and private spheres and his snapshot aesthetic, which brought street‑photography energy into art photography and influenced later documentary and portrait practice.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
6 1/2 × 9 7/8" (16.5 × 25.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase
Accession
420.2000
Palette
Exhibitions
