Untitled (African-American workers picking strawberries, Louisiana) c. 1935

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by C. Bennette Moore depicting African-American workers picking strawberries, likely in Louisiana. The monochromatic tones lend it a certain austerity. Editor: Indeed, it's an unsettling stillness, almost ghostlike in its tonality. The formal arrangement with the lined rows creates this palpable sense of both order and profound labor. Curator: The high contrast emphasizes the shapes of the workers and the repetitive pattern of the fields. Note the almost geometric division of space—dark sky, bright horizon, and the detailed foreground. Editor: Right. But what that starkness really brings home is the sheer physical act of harvesting. The photograph makes me think about the conditions, the history, the unseen effort of their work. Curator: The photo has an arresting semiotic structure, where the contrast creates a visual hierarchy and invites interpretation about race and labor. Editor: Exactly, and what does it tell us about the systems in play? It’s a powerful reminder of how things are produced, and who’s doing that production. Curator: It’s fascinating how the artist uses light and shadow to create a complex reading of both space and social structure. Editor: It pushes you to confront the realities behind something as simple as a basket of strawberries. A complex image.