Doos met rood fluweel before 1959

Editor: Here we have a photograph, taken before 1959, of what's titled "Doos met rood fluweel," or "Box with Red Velvet," by an anonymous artist. The box itself looks so soft, but also somehow official with the little emblem. How do you see the value of this photograph Curator? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I see more than just an image of a box. I see a carefully constructed photograph, probably commissioned to represent the object itself, its potential function and intrinsic value. This piece makes me wonder about the historical conditions of its production and consumption: where was this velvet sourced from, and who labored to make this box and photograph? Editor: So, you're less interested in what *might* be inside the box and more in the tangible things that make up the photograph and the box? Curator: Exactly. Think about the texture of velvet and how that feels: that rich texture associated with luxury items is manufactured for particular tastes, and in that sense has its own cultural history. Likewise, the photographic materials and the techniques used, they weren't just "there" they were produced in particular contexts of labour and capitalist production, and were consumed with those contexts too. Editor: I didn’t even consider the historical implications behind something that looks like just an ordinary box. It’s interesting to realize everything that is present in this single image. Curator: Precisely! And those details matter when discussing art’s relation to commerce. So often overlooked, and vital to consider.