Witch

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

This 35mm black & white photograph captures the haunting theatricality of the NYC Village Halloween Parade between 1982 and 1986. A central figure in a wide-brimmed hat and an expressive, sorrowful mask stares directly into the lens, their pale, billowing gown and dark cape illuminated by a sharp, direct flash. The heavy grain and deep contrast characteristic of Tri-X film emphasize the surreal, "pulp" atmosphere of the mid-80s West Village night. In the background, blurred spectators and the dark facades of West Tenth Street brownstone buildings create a sense of candid movement, freezing a moment of eerie, costumed performance in a raw street-photography style.