Untitled (people in Hawaiian attire getting off boats) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown. It shows people in what looks like Hawaiian attire getting off boats. The mood feels a bit surreal, maybe because of the inverted tones. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The inverted tones are fascinating. This image asks us to consider the complicated history of Hawaiian culture and its representation. The attire, the boats, the very act of leisure—how do these elements speak to the legacies of colonialism and cultural appropriation? Who is getting off the boat? What does it mean to be wearing “Hawaiian attire”? Editor: So, it's about questioning the way we perceive and consume culture? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to examine the power dynamics inherent in the act of observing and representing another culture, and to consider the lasting impact of these representations. Editor: I never would have thought of that, thank you! Curator: It's about looking beneath the surface, always.