Sparkles

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

Captured mid-stride during a 1980s NYC Village Halloween Parade, a group of revelers showcases the era's penchant for imaginative, DIY costuming. In the center, a participant wears a striking, multi-pointed celestial headpiece that radiates outward like a silver star, catching the intense illumination from a Norman 200B flash. Flanking this central figure are others in high-concept attire, including a person in an aviator-inspired jumpsuit and another dressed as an astronaut, complete with a bubble helmet. The black-and-white depth of the Kodak Tri-X film highlights the varied textures of the street scene, from the metallic shimmer of the fringe capes to the soft glow of the night-time city backdrop. This 35mm Pentax shot preserves a moment of communal creativity, freezing the eclectic energy of the Greenwich Village streets in a contrasty, professional light.