Julia with Frilly Skirt and Gloves, Ann Arbor, Michigan c. 1987

Editor: Joanne Leonard’s gelatin-silver print, "Julia with Frilly Skirt and Gloves, Ann Arbor, Michigan," made around 1987, captures a young girl formally dressed, juxtaposed against the casual backdrop of her bedroom. I'm struck by this contrast—it feels intentional, like it’s saying something about identity and performance. What do you see in this photograph? Curator: This image compels us to consider the social construction of girlhood, and how it's materially manifested. The frilly skirt, the gloves – they aren't just aesthetic choices, but rather manufactured signifiers. Consider the labour involved in producing these garments. Who made the skirt, and under what conditions? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about the actual making of the skirt itself, but focusing on the dress highlights a very material experience of being a girl at the time. Do you think the setting plays a similar role? Curator: Absolutely. Note the seemingly disorganized clothing rack and the personal posters. These details counter the constructed femininity displayed in the clothing, rooting the subject within the social reality of an average young girl. There is something so arresting and true about this photo precisely because it avoids the easy contrast, by embracing real surroundings and light conditions, thereby drawing allusions to the larger conversation around class. Editor: So it is about the tension, right? About this very obvious display of what we imagine femininity is "supposed" to be versus its true experience. Curator: Indeed! Leonard deftly questions those binaries through her medium. It is a challenge to the established modes of image making. A very compelling interplay. Editor: Thank you! I definitely see so many more layers now. It's more than just a portrait; it's a commentary. Curator: Precisely, and seeing it through a materialist lens, we acknowledge that this art object implicates systems of value production beyond just art's self-validation.