Untitled (family holding sporting equipment in front of house) c. 1950

Curator: This photograph, titled "Untitled (family holding sporting equipment in front of house)" by Lucian and Mary Brown, presents an intriguing tableau. Editor: My first impression is one of posed leisure, but the monochrome inversion gives it an unsettling, almost ghostly quality. Curator: Indeed, the inverted tones highlight the geometry of the composition. Note how the angles of the skis and the rifle play against the horizontal lines of the porch. Editor: And consider the family's labor in acquiring these sporting goods, the production and the cultural values they represent, their social standing made material. Curator: But there’s also the formal balance of the figures, anchoring the scene. The sporting goods form symbolic extensions of their characters, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Perhaps. But I see the very real equipment—the skis, the motor, the golf clubs—as representative of class, labor, and consumerism. Curator: I see a story told through form and arrangement. Editor: I see production and ownership. Both are present, aren't they?