Amalgam, Untitled 79/19 1979

Editor: This is Barbara Kasten's "Amalgam, Untitled 79/19" from 1979, a mixed-media photograph. It’s a rather enigmatic image, isn’t it? Mostly cool greys, with geometric shapes delineated by sharp lines of yellow, red, and black. What's your perspective on this? Curator: From a materialist point of view, let’s consider Kasten’s process. This wasn’t just a simple snapshot. It's constructed, an assemblage. How do the materials themselves – the photographic paper, the paint, the objects she arranged – contribute to the meaning? Editor: So, you're saying the physical act of creating it is key? Curator: Precisely. Think about the labor involved in staging these geometric forms, then photographing them. Kasten’s deliberately revealing the artificiality of the image, highlighting the construction rather than concealing it. It challenges the traditional role of photography as a recorder of reality. Where does "reality" end and where does the construction begin? Editor: I see. So it’s not just about *what* is depicted, but *how* it was made. Was she making a comment on consumerism? Curator: Perhaps indirectly. The sharp lines and manufactured look could reflect the rise of industrial design and mass production. By foregrounding the act of creation, Kasten makes us consider our relationship to manufactured objects and images, their production and consumption. Editor: I never thought about the 'labor' aspect, only its shapes and hues. I’m starting to see beyond the surface. Curator: Exactly. And questioning what that "surface" is actually made of. What have you discovered by exploring Kasten's method? Editor: I see now that it challenges photography’s claim to objective truth by emphasizing process, material and production. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing the artistic creation, rather than just perceiving it.