Untitled (man holding baby) c. 1950

Editor: This interesting photogram, "Untitled (man holding baby)" by Lucian and Mary Brown, presents a reversed image of a domestic scene. The floral patterned chair strikes me. What can we learn about this piece? Curator: The reversed image emphasizes the chemical process of its creation. We see the labor involved, the photographic paper itself becoming the artistic medium. The floral chair also points to consumption patterns and domesticity of the era. Editor: So, the focus isn't just on the image but on the means of its creation and what the setting tells us about society? Curator: Precisely. The image content is almost secondary to the primary concern: the materiality and the production of the image as a cultural object. What does that make you think about the art itself? Editor: It gives me a new way to consider the image-making process. Thanks!