Untitled (decorations for luau) c. 1950

Editor: This is an intriguing photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, titled "Untitled (decorations for luau)." It's interesting to see the luau decorations, the materials they're made of, but also the use of photography as a material. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Considering its materiality, I see a document of social practice. The photo captures not just a luau scene, but the construction of leisure. What are the implications of these assembled materials – the bamboo, the manufactured hula skirt – in the context of cultural representation and consumption? Editor: That’s a great point, the materials do tell a story of production and the creation of an event. It's fascinating to think about the labor and resources involved in creating this scene. Curator: Exactly. It prompts us to consider the labor, the social relations, and the broader economic forces at play in staging this particular cultural performance.