Port Gibson, Mississippi 1955

Editor: Robert Frank’s "Port Gibson, Mississippi," a gelatin-silver print from 1955. The photo presents as a series of portraits of young white men, possibly high school students, outside what seems to be their school, and the format looks like a contact sheet. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Frank’s method is front and center here. He is purposefully showing us his labor through the medium: photography. Each section could stand as its own image, yet Frank is showing us how these are mass produced and documenting the young white men’s expressions across slightly varying contexts, emphasizing standardization in production. Editor: So you're saying that Frank is trying to capture this almost cookie cutter form of masculinity of these students? Curator: I think so, but more than that he is forcing us to reflect on the labor required for that image. How the making of images like these both serve and help reproduce ideological formations and norms. It also helps us challenge boundaries between "high art" photography with its focus on intentionality and craft. In its reproduction this feels like almost documentary. Editor: That's really interesting. I hadn't thought of it that way before. It also connects to the historical moment that these images were taken. It certainly provides context to reflect on the modes of representing labor within communities and perhaps even the effects of social status at the time. Curator: Precisely. So the piece makes one really consider how material conditions shape our perception. Editor: This discussion definitely changed how I see not just this photograph, but portraiture in general! Curator: Absolutely. Seeing the material reality shaping cultural artifacts gives you access to new insights.