Eat Cake

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

High above the vibrant chaos of the mid-1980s Village Halloween Parade, this black-and-white perspective was captured from a second-story window at 59 West Tenth Street. Utilizing a 135mm lens on a 35mm Pentax, the long focal point compresses the bustling NYC street scene, bringing a group of political satirists into sharp focus. The revelers march behind a large banner that provocatively bridges history, comparing 1784 Marie Antoinette to 1984 Ronald Reagan under the infamous quote, "Let Them Eat Cake." Shot on Kodak Tri-X film, the classic grain enhances the documentary feel of the protest art, while a powerful professional strobe light illuminates the ornate, 18th-century powdered wigs and silk waistcoats against the dark asphalt. This elevated vantage point provides a unique look at the theatrical intersection of history and 1980s politics during Greenwich Village's most famous night.