Untitled (little boy throwing baseball) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, depicting a boy throwing a baseball. It’s a small, intimate image, almost dreamlike in its inverted tones. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The materiality of this photograph speaks volumes. The photographic negative, a mass-produced item for the masses. Its inherent process of reversal, from light to dark, echoes the social inversions of labor; the unseen work necessary for leisure. Do you think that adds to its narrative? Editor: I think it does. It is almost like we see the inside out of things. Curator: Exactly. This negative also prompts questions about artistic collaboration in commercial studios and the often unseen labor behind the image. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding how we value different types of art.