Jones Beach 1979

Curator: Eric Baden's "Jones Beach," held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures a group of people enjoying a day at the beach. It’s a silver gelatin print, measuring about 7 by 11 inches. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the stillness amid the implied movement. The figures are active, but the monochrome palette lends a sense of suspended time. Curator: Absolutely. Baden's work often explores leisure and public spaces, reflecting on how individuals interact within these environments. Jones Beach, in particular, holds significance as a historically popular recreational area for New Yorkers. Editor: I'm intrigued by the interplay of bodies and the beach environment. The figures, predominantly male, seem to be caught in moments of performative masculinity, mirrored in their athletic poses against the backdrop of the open sea. Curator: Indeed, the composition invites us to consider themes of identity and community. The beach serves as a stage where social roles are both enacted and, perhaps, subtly questioned through Baden’s lens. Editor: The lack of identifying features, coupled with the vintage aesthetic, evokes a sense of universal experience. It prompts reflection on how notions of leisure and belonging persist across time. Curator: Reflecting on Baden's perspective, it encourages a deeper consideration of the historical context of recreational spaces and their evolving cultural significance. Editor: And for me, it highlights how the act of documenting everyday life through photography is itself an act of meaning-making.