Untitled (two kids by Christmas tree) 1944

Editor: This undated photograph, "Untitled (two kids by Christmas tree)" by John Deusing, shows an intimate, though inverted, Christmas scene. The stark reversal of light and shadow gives it a dreamlike quality. What symbols do you see resonating here? Curator: The Christmas tree itself is central – a near-universal symbol of hope, renewal, and the family hearth. Even in negative, the ornaments suggest shared traditions, repeated yearly. The children, bathed in ethereal light, become icons of innocence. Do you find this symbolism comforting or unsettling, given the photographic reversal? Editor: Unsettling, I think. The inversion casts a strange light on something usually so comforting. Curator: Perhaps Deusing is hinting at the complex emotions intertwined with memory, suggesting that even joy carries a shadow. The inverted image then becomes a symbol for a forgotten past, a memory that's there but not quite graspable. Editor: I see what you mean. It’s like a familiar story told in a different language. Curator: Precisely. Visual echoes that remind us of the many layers of meaning that lie within familiar scenes.