Reflection c. 1930

Editor: This is Sherril Schell's photograph, "Reflection," from the Harvard Art Museums. The buildings are striking, but the dark framing around them makes me wonder what’s outside this constructed view. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a potent commentary on urban life and power dynamics. The towering buildings, photographed in a way that feels both imposing and isolating, speak to the masculine forces shaping our cities. Consider the framing, almost like looking through a keyhole. Who is afforded this view, and who is excluded? Editor: So you're saying the photograph isn't just about the buildings themselves? Curator: Not at all. Schell may be drawing our attention to the social and economic structures that allowed these buildings to exist. What narratives are being constructed and whose voices are being silenced in the process? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn’t considered the perspective as a deliberate choice with social implications. Curator: Exactly. Art often invites us to question the spaces we inhabit and the stories they tell.