Pat Sabatine's Eighth Birthday Party, 1977

Pat Sabatine’s Eight Birthday Party, on offer here as rare, early print, appeared on the cover of Larry Fink's well-known book, Social Graces (1984). The picture captures a decisive moment in a swirl of movement. Fink draws attention to the choreography of the scene involving the boy’s dramatic hand gesture, the woman entering with a cake on a tilted tray, and the arm of a man holding the door. The dynamic, implied action of the objects within the tight frame creates a sense of instability, where one easy motion--the door hitting the woman—could send the celebration to disaster. The picture compels the spectator to stop and examine it closely in try to solve the riddle of the instant.