Los Angeles 1982

Editor: This photograph, titled "Los Angeles," was taken by Bill Dane in 1982. It's a gelatin silver print depicting a performance in what looks like an old theater. It feels very surreal, with the contrast between the somewhat dilapidated space and the striking image of a woman doing a headstand on the stage. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating how Dane uses stark monochrome to amplify the sense of displacement and the layering of realities. Notice the recurring motif of the inverted body. It’s not merely acrobatic; it's a potent symbol of turning societal norms upside down. This gesture evokes ancient rituals of purification and reversal, challenging established orders. Editor: I see what you mean. The headstand draws my eye right away, almost as a symbolic inversion of the everyday. But why stage it in a setting that seems… forgotten? Curator: The derelict theater acts as a cultural container, pregnant with past narratives. The woman's performance re-animates this dormant space, inviting a new ritual of meaning-making. Consider also the photographers in the audience; they become part of the performance, documenting the ephemeral and solidifying its place in cultural memory. Do you feel there's a dialogue happening between past and present in the photograph? Editor: Definitely. It's like Dane is using the photograph itself to record the performance, and in turn the performance revives the space's purpose, and asks the viewer to interpret the action within an existing cultural landscape. The photo has this circular symbolic loop. Curator: Precisely! The continuous loop of image-making and interpretation. The layering of photographers recording the scene reinforces the piece's interest in capturing and documenting cultural shifts, right? What did you learn from that interpretation? Editor: That considering symbolism opens new ways to interpret the work! Curator: Exactly, images truly do carry emotional, cultural and psychological meaning.