Untitled (graveside burial, casket above ground) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an intriguing, untitled photograph by John Deusing, showing what appears to be a graveside burial with the casket above ground. Editor: It's…eerie. The inverted tones give it an almost ghostly quality. The bare trees against the sky feel like skeletal fingers reaching out. Curator: The high contrast definitely heightens the drama. Notice how Deusing has composed the shot, placing the casket centrally, flanked by mourners and gravestones that seem unusually close. Editor: Close indeed. With the headstones so prominent, bearing those early 20th-century dates. It's like the past is literally pushing into the present. What do you make of the open casket, visually? Curator: Well, the casket’s raised position and stark visibility certainly challenge traditional notions of burial and remembrance, almost confronting us with mortality itself. Editor: It’s a stark reminder, isn't it? Deusing's piece captures a moment heavy with ritual, grief, and an undeniable sense of finality. Curator: Yes, a finality framed by a stark visual poetry that lingers long after you've moved on.