Untitled (adults watching children play on floor) c. 1950

Editor: This untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown shows adults observing children at play. The adults are formally dressed, whereas the children are on the floor playing. How might we interpret this scene? Curator: The material conditions of the scene are key: the clothing, the interior setting, even the photographic process itself. Consider the labor involved in creating this image, the social roles it reinforces, and how it reflects on consumption and leisure within a specific class. What does the staging tell us about social performances? Editor: That's interesting, it invites one to consider those performances in an active way. Thank you. Curator: And the photograph, not simply as a representation, but as a material object circulating within social networks. It's been a pleasure.