Untitled (toddler standing next to small table in living room) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, showing a toddler in a living room. It's so simple, almost a snapshot. What can you tell us about it? Curator: Notice the negative’s indexical relationship to reality, a direct result of the labor involved in its making. The image foregrounds the material conditions of middle-class domesticity. Editor: Middle-class? Curator: Yes, the chair and table suggest a specific context of production and consumption. What does the image tell us about the Browns' socio-economic environment, about labor and value? Editor: It highlights how even simple photos are tied to social structures. Thanks!