Untitled (burlesque dancer onstage) c. 1950

Editor: This photograph by Peter James Studio, titled *Untitled (burlesque dancer onstage)*, it's a small gelatin silver print. It’s an interesting piece, but I feel like I’m missing something. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Oh, I find it incredibly evocative! Look at how the photographer toys with light and shadow. It's almost dreamlike, blurring the lines between performance and reality, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps this inversion of tones speaks to the hidden realities within the performance itself? Editor: Yes, I didn't think of it that way. The inverted tones really change the mood. Curator: Indeed! The photograph offers a glimpse behind the curtain. What was seen is not always as it seems. Editor: I see what you mean. Thanks for pointing that out.