With the titular “Sensual Empathy” as the impassioned mood of this exquisite exhibition, Larry Fink takes center stage at CPW in Kingston through August 31. Fink’s signature flash-lit style sweeps us into his sensational world without hesitation, where theatrical and pedestrian moments alike capture our imagination and invite us into the festival of humanity—and Fink’s honest visions touch the heart every time.

Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island in a politically conscious household (his mother Sylvia Caplan was an anti-nuclear weapons activist and Black Panther supporter), Fink went on to study at the New School for Social Research in New York City, where the blessing of meeting the influential street photographer Lisette Model changed his life. Having redefined documentary photography in America, Model was an ideal mentor, and she encouraged Fink’s exploration of the social classes. Fink would eventually delve deeper into two radically contrasting images of society through his practice, and his photographs reveal the affluence of the elite aristocracy of Manhattan on the one hand and the prosaic charms of a child’s birthday party in rural Pennsylvania on the other.

The works in this show span a timeframe from the late 1950s into the 21st century, and the earliest photo is Jimmy Rushing, New York, NY, 1957. This stoic portrait of a man as he ponders alone in the corner of a room is a classic Fink snapshot, and we can almost smell the lingering odor of cigarettes and live jazz. His image of Malcolm X, Harlem NY, May 1963 is among the most striking, a nonnegotiable truth to power moment captured with confidence. The fashionable allure of Fink’s work is palpable in works such as Studio 54, New York, NY, May 1977, an image that spotlights a woman in a flowing dress as she whirls toward the camera, her long braid chasing her amid an ecstatic dance crowd (in a word: breathless).

In the middle of the gallery a trio of photos reflect Fink’s ability to transcend time and pull us into the scene. This threesome reads like a continuation of one long night of glamorous partying that starts on the right with Peter Beard and Friends, Montauk, NY, August 1976, featuring a group of gorgeous people interacting in a dramatic Caravaggio-esque display. The photo Sonnenberg Mansion, New York, NY, March 2000 includes a couple in sultry embrace in a luxury environment; he looks longingly to her as she turns, their seductive bodies reflected in the gilded mirror behind them. Closing out this three-part bacchanal is Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman, Oscar Party, Los Angeles, CA, February 2009 on the left, where these two elegant starlets enjoy a private confab, Streep whispering close to Portman, her eyes closed as she savors the chatter.

Curated by Lucy Sante, “Sensual Empathy” is an intimate visual treasure chest at over 30 photos, all of them black and white, each a stolen moment as captured by Fink. Fink taught for over 40 years (including stints at Yale and Cooper Union) and he and Sante were colleagues at Bard College for 20 of them. In 2024, the MUUS Collection in Paris presented “Sensual Empathy” in conjunction with a monograph of his work published by powerHouse Books, and Sante wrote the introductory essay. I had the pleasure of meeting Sante during the lively CPW gala a few weeks ago, and she indicated how this show represents a tiny fraction of Fink’s impressive oeuvre. Sante spoke of Fink’s insatiable work ethic and his passion for the projects that he took on. She noted how some of Fink’s side ventures went for decades, such as his focus on boxing. Sante described Fink as a humanist, a second-generation beatnik, and a spark. “Larry knew what he was doing,” she commented as she reminisced about his creative power. “He was a single force.”

During Fink’s 60-year career as a photographer, his photos were featured in notable magazines such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and GQ (among many others) and in recent years he covered the rise of the Obamas in American politics. Fink entertained the compelling spectacle of humanity in all its bravado and boringness, leaving us to savor the devastating beauty of it all. Throughout this show there are segments of his poems and musings on the walls, and these brief bursts of text further illuminate the poetic tone of Fink’s singular photographic spirit. One of those ruminations is a fitting coda for this sensuous show: “the only light that reflects upon you / is the light within / if there is none / you cannot see.”