Untitled (portrait of two girls standing back-to-back) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Howell, a portrait of two young girls standing back-to-back. The inverted tones give it an eerie, almost dreamlike quality. What symbols do you see present in this work? Curator: The mirroring and inversion are particularly striking. Back-to-back, yet connected, visually inseparable. This evokes a sense of duality – perhaps innocence and experience, or opposing paths in life. The lack of identifying markers also adds to the universality, turning these specific girls into archetypes. Editor: So, the absence of context actually enriches the symbolism? Curator: Precisely! It compels us to project our own interpretations, layering personal meanings onto the image. The photograph becomes a mirror, reflecting our own understanding of connection, separation, and identity. Editor: That’s fascinating; I hadn’t considered the power of absence in creating meaning. Thanks for sharing your perspective!