December 19, 1992, Palm Harbor, Florida Possibly 1992 - 1995

Editor: So this gelatin-silver print, "December 19, 1992, Palm Harbor, Florida" by Jim Goldberg...it’s definitely striking! I find it unsettling, a little invasive maybe? Two feet, very close-up, are the entire focus. What strikes you when you look at this image? Curator: I find the choice to isolate these feet particularly interesting in a socio-political context. Consider how photography has historically been used to categorize and sometimes dehumanize people. Goldberg is consciously playing with this history. Editor: Dehumanize? Just by showing feet? Curator: It’s more complex than that. The intimate, almost vulnerable, depiction clashes with the potential for clinical objectification. He disrupts traditional power dynamics by forcing the viewer into an unexpected confrontation. We’re presented with what is arguably a decontextualized portrait in some domestic setting, but does it lead us to empathy or something else? Editor: I see your point. The date in the title almost feels like evidence, as if something has happened. Curator: Exactly. What purpose does that information serve? Also, consider how photographic nudes have been exhibited, and think about the various power dynamics that exist when the whole or parts of a human body become viewed in some gallery or museum setting. Do you find that these additional layers transform the piece, or do you still maintain the initial sentiment that you felt before? Editor: I definitely see how it becomes much more complicated than just a picture of feet! It's not simply observational, it makes me question the act of seeing. Thanks for unpacking that, it makes a huge difference.