Untitled (car driving in snowstorm) c. 1950

Editor: This is "Untitled (car driving in snowstorm)" by Lucian and Mary Brown, a black and white photograph. The scale is quite intimate. I’m struck by the feeling of isolation and vulnerability. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: The image speaks to the romanticization, and simultaneous fear, of the open road in American culture, particularly during the mid-20th century. The car, a symbol of freedom, is here rendered helpless, almost consumed by the elements. What does that say about our perceived control over nature? Editor: That’s a great point. I hadn't considered the symbolic tension between freedom and vulnerability in that way. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, it really makes you think about how we frame progress and its consequences.