Untitled (brunette woman in decorated bikini bottom, mesh stockings, and silver boots -- facing camera) c. 1975

Curator: This photograph, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, is credited to Ken Whitmire Associates. There's no title or date associated with it. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the pose – it's bold, almost confrontational, yet the black and white softens what could be overtly provocative. Curator: Contextually, consider the socio-political landscape of imagery, its public role and those gazes that either objectify or celebrate. The silver boots, the ornate bikini, what do they tell us about the politics of the time? Editor: I see a performer, maybe a go-go dancer, embodying a specific moment. The light is so flat, almost clinical, which intensifies the directness, and almost an invitation. Curator: It definitely sparks discussion about objectification versus empowerment. What kind of gaze are we bringing to this image now, decades later? What would have this been understood as then? Editor: It’s a fascinating piece, prompting me to question how much my own experiences shape my interpretation. Curator: Indeed, and how the ever-changing social and political environment influences what we see.