Empire State Building, New York 1936

Curator: This is Ilse Bing's "Empire State Building, New York," taken in 1936. Look how she's captured it. Editor: It’s austere, imposing. That stark black and white really amplifies the building's geometry and gives it a powerful presence. You feel so small looking up at it. Curator: Absolutely. And Bing wasn't just pointing and shooting. Think about the socio-political context: the Great Depression still gripping the country, yet here stands this colossal testament to American ambition and industrial might. The very act of erecting such a structure broadcasts a narrative of progress. Editor: Precisely. The materiality too is significant. Steel, concrete, glass. All products of intensive labor and massive industrial infrastructure. One can't forget the workforce involved and the economic policies underpinning the building’s existence when gazing upon such a photograph. It’s as much a document of labour and economics as it is architectural. Curator: The image debuted as a key contribution to European avant-garde circles, showcasing new possibilities for both subject and framing that helped define the Machine Age ideal in both Europe and America. The building itself became this icon, utilized on both sides of the Atlantic, and further reinforced through Bing’s choice of bold shadow and line. Editor: And look at the perspective. Angled upwards, deliberately emphasizing the building’s height, the sheer scale of the endeavor. Bing is framing the Empire State Building almost as a manufactured mountain. Curator: A calculated decision which resonates beyond aesthetics. Photography played a role in establishing and cementing the building's legendary stature within the interwar cultural and media landscape, it really created a global identity around American modernity. Editor: Seeing Bing’s meticulous darkroom work and use of the stark light here it's difficult not to view this image through a modern lens; reflecting on labour practices, the availability of raw materials and construction techniques. This monumental artwork acts almost as a mirror held up to the economic machine that powered its production. Curator: In a sense, she transformed a building into an event. Bing highlighted the narrative already underway through clever perspective and form; one steeped in material triumph, architectural advancement, and social progress. Editor: A photograph both stark and revealing, demanding us to acknowledge both the building’s construction and its impact across all strata of society.