St. Gabriel, Louisiana 30 - 1999

Editor: So, this is Deborah Luster’s "St. Gabriel, Louisiana," a gelatin-silver print from 1999. It has a really intriguing aged quality, even a slight sense of fragility. What strikes you about this image? Curator: Immediately, I think about the historical context of gelatin-silver prints and the accessibility they provided. Photography shifted from exclusive studio practices to something within reach of amateur practitioners, yet it maintains a kind of ‘hand-madeness’. Consider the labor in creating this print, each step carrying its own weight and the traces of the artist’s touch. What does the artist intend by showcasing such a raw form of material reality? Editor: I see your point! The subject and flower feel like they are suspended in time by the almost monochrome-like color grade. So you’re saying that it’s not necessarily about the image *itself* but more about what its physical creation represents? Curator: Exactly! Think about the modern industrial production surrounding images today, constantly reshaped via screens and online sharing. This image forces us to slow down and appreciate the tangibility of its material. What labor went into sourcing these specific chemical elements needed to fix it on paper? And furthermore, what comment could the artist be making in response to contemporary approaches through this lens? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. I focused initially on the composition, the framing, the way she’s holding the flower...but your reading reframes the work completely. It brings another depth in looking at the person within. Curator: Precisely. Seeing the cracks and the tonal inconsistencies within its frame aren't failures but successes in showing us the limitations that force one to reckon with something that cannot be altered and can only persist, giving it beauty and sentimental qualities. How do you feel about that after our exchange? Editor: I'm starting to think about photographs in a whole new light, literally and figuratively! Thank you for your perspective! Curator: My pleasure. Now, go forward and continue questioning the what *and* the how!