The Poetic Document. Bill Burke. Larry Fink. Phyllis Galembo. October 30-November 20, 1989.

Art Gallery, Drexel University, 1989. Photographs of Cambodia by Burke, African American men by Fink, and women's colorful attire in Brazil and Nigeria by Galembo. Exhibit catalog to mark the Sesquicentennial of photography and inauguration of photography major at Drexel University. Wraps with printed glassine over soft covers, 16 pages, six illustrations, essay by James R. Hugunin on “poetic visual anthropology,” introduction by Blaise Tobias, with errata slip and form letter from Tobias laid in. Very good, no marks or tears, with modest signs of handling. Uncommon in this condition, usually found (when at all) with damage to fragile glassine or worse. SIGNED by Tobias and Fink. Scarce thus.  Summary:

The Poetic Document: Bill Burke, Larry Fink, Phyllis Galembo (1989) is a concise, 8-page exhibition brochure published by Drexel University to document a landmark photographic exhibition held at the Nesbitt College of Design Arts gallery from October 30 to November 20, 1989. Curated by gallery director and photography professor Blaise Tobia, the publication features primary critical commentary and select image reproductions capturing a pivotal moment in the evolution of late 20th-century American documentary photography.

Core Content & Conceptual Framework

1. Redefining the Documentary Tradition

The publication centers on a shared philosophical shift among three influential contemporary photographers who were actively moving away from traditional, detached photojournalism. Tobia’s introductory essay coins the term "poetic document" to describe a style of image-making where objective reality is intentionally filtered through an intensely personal, expressive, and subjective artistic lens. The text outlines how each photographer uses their camera not merely to record social facts, but to construct complex, layered cultural narratives.

2. Diverse Photographic Strategies

The catalog profiles and contrasts the distinct thematic focus and visual style brought by each of the three featured artists:

• Bill Burke: Highlighted for his raw, unflinching, and diary-like explorations of Southeast Asia and the American South, utilizing collaged text, scratched negatives, and Polaroid materials to probe the chaotic boundaries of personal and political trauma.

• Larry Fink: Showcased through his signature high-contrast, flash-lit black-and-white social commentary, capturing the visceral, psychological, and often theatrical interactions of human subcultures ranging from rural Pennsylvany family gatherings to elite Manhattan art parties.

• Phyllis Galembo: Explored via her deeply respectful, vibrant, and highly stylized color studio portraits documenting religious altars and ritual practitioners in Nigeria and the African diaspora, bridging the gap between fine-art ethnography and sacred expression.

3. Subjective Truth and Cultural Commentary

A central theme running through the essay is the exploration of how these diverse bodies of work challenge the myth of photographic objectivity. The text analyzes how the intense aesthetic choices made by the artists—whether through harsh flash, mixed-media collage, or saturated color staging—ultimately yield a deeper, more poetic truth about human ritual, socioeconomic class, and global identity than traditional, unmediated snapshots can achieve.

The Poetic Document stands as an important institutional record from a transformative era when academic and gallery spaces began formally celebrating subjectivity within documentary arts. By uniting the distinct visual styles of Burke, Fink, and Galembo under a singular conceptual banner, the Drexel University publication maps out the exact aesthetic and critical methodologies that helped shape the trajectory of post-modern fine-art photojournalism.