Untitled (picnic, people at long tables) 1957

Editor: This black and white photograph by Ken Whitmire Associates pictures a picnic with people at long tables. It’s untitled and the date is unknown. The inverted tones create a surreal effect. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This piece, with its long table and communal meal, evokes a Last Supper-like scenario, but placed within a pastoral setting. Consider how class and power dynamics are being played out in this public display of leisure and consumption. What kind of societal norms do you think are being reinforced or subverted here? Editor: I hadn’t thought about power dynamics. I was just seeing a big group of people enjoying a meal together. Curator: Exactly! The artist is inviting us to question the very nature of community and belonging. Let’s think about who is included in this scene, and perhaps more importantly, who is excluded.