Untitled (portrait of two children) c. 1940

Editor: This intriguing portrait by John Deusing features two children in what appears to be a photographic negative. The image has a ghostly quality. How do you interpret this work, especially given the unusual presentation? Curator: The reversal of light and shadow immediately invokes a sense of memory. Negatives often act as intermediary stages, holding latent images of the past. What emotional weight do you perceive in images of children, and how does the negative space influence that perception? Editor: The negative format definitely emphasizes a sense of distance, a past that's both present and just out of reach. Curator: Precisely. Consider, too, how children are potent symbols of potential, innocence, and vulnerability. The inverted tones force us to actively reimagine their presence, turning them into spectral figures. The photograph becomes a meditation on time, loss, and the enduring power of the captured image. It asks: what aspects of childhood do we collectively remember? Editor: I never considered how the presentation itself could carry so much cultural meaning! Thank you!