Jean Seberg 

Editor: This is Philippe Halsman’s "Jean Seberg," a black and white photograph. There's something playful, almost surreal, about it. It really grabs my attention with this woman leaping mid-air trying to catch a flying cat! What symbols do you see present here? Curator: Playfulness is a good starting point. What does a cat symbolize to you? Its mid-air position hints at an interesting duality; perhaps freedom from earthly constraint or possibly a sacrifice of such stability. Also, consider Jean Seberg’s positioning; her state of leaping from furniture itself holds symbolic weight. She is the picture of attempting to overcome earthly bounds! Editor: So, the cat represents freedom, or perhaps lost innocence? But Seberg's pose… she seems almost desperate, not just playful. Curator: Exactly. What were some prominent characterizations and performances by the woman in the picture? How does she become a figure herself? And how do cultural archetypes affect our viewing of photographs even before they happen? Editor: Well, she was an actress… maybe her willingness to perform, to take a literal leap, hints at her profession but the look on her face seems, somehow, both performative and authentically surprised. Perhaps the cat being thrown becomes about acting itself; Seberg literally catches her roles. Curator: I agree, it becomes a mirror reflecting multiple possible truths and speaks to our cultural expectations of how we read pictures, as well. Every element becomes like a hieroglyph or a part of memory waiting to be activated. Editor: That is such a compelling perspective! I hadn’t thought about cultural memory being built into images themselves, so, Halsman is using readily available meanings in order to suggest a reading about Seberg’s entire career! Curator: And how might these "meanings" extend to similar images across diverse mediums? Consider the cultural values that influence the continued usage and understandings about "women in pictures catching pets!" It speaks to a persistent human narrative that moves across time. Editor: It really is amazing to see how even a seemingly simple image is rich with symbols that speak volumes! Thank you.