Untitled (boy in sandbox) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled gelatin silver print by Lucian and Mary Brown, showing a boy in a sandbox. The reversed tones give it such a ghostly, dreamlike quality. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The reversed tones make me consider the politics of visibility. What does it mean to invert an image of childhood, historically a subject of sentimental, often propagandistic, photography? Are the artists critiquing that history? Editor: That's a fascinating question. I hadn't thought about it in terms of visibility. Curator: Consider how the domestic space of the sandbox, usually a symbol of innocence, is rendered almost alien. Does this alter our perception of childhood itself? Editor: I suppose it does. It makes you think about the darker, less idealized aspects. Thanks, that was very insightful. Curator: My pleasure. It's always rewarding to see familiar subjects through new perspectives.