Untitled (people wearing long capes in procession, seen from above) c. 1950

Curator: Looking at this photograph feels a bit like peering into a dream. It’s an untitled work by C. Bennette Moore, showing a procession of people in long capes, captured from above. Editor: My first thought is "theatrical." The perspective, the costumes... it all screams performance. What do we know about the setting and materials? Curator: Details are scarce, which only adds to the mystique, don't you think? But notice the Klieg lights. This hints at film production and the immense labor that goes into each movie. Editor: Exactly! It highlights the artifice, the constructed nature of spectacle. Even the capes, likely made of commonplace material, are elevated through the process. Curator: It makes you wonder what the story is... or perhaps, what story are we creating as viewers? It feels like Moore is inviting us to participate. Editor: And to consider the economics of image-making. The costuming, the lights, the sheer number of participants—it all speaks to the resources involved in constructing these fantasies. Curator: In the end, it's both ethereal and grounded, a beautiful paradox. Editor: Agreed. Moore's photograph, though seemingly simple, reveals the complex relationship between illusion and the often-overlooked labor that underpins it.