Cocktail Party

16x20 inch Black & White print on Epson Art Cotton Smooth 250 gram paper. From the NYC Village Halloween Parade, 1982–86.

A whimsical "cocktail party" takes to the streets during the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in the mid-1980s, featuring three participants encased in oversized beverage glass costumes. These surreal, wearable art pieces were the work of designer Robert Tabor, who became a parade fixture for his massive, sculptural creations that often transformed human forms into everyday objects. This black-and-white analog shot, captured on 35mm Tri-X film, uses a powerful Norman 200B flash to freeze the exuberant motion of the martini and highball glass masqueraders. The contrasty light glints off the "liquid" and garnish details—including a giant lemon slice and stirrer—separating the figures from the dark New York City night. It is a quintessential moment of the annual NYC tradition, showcasing the playful and inventive spirit of a designer whose "wow" factor helped define the visual spectacle of the 1980s parade scene.