Untitled (double rephotographed image of portrait of young man) 1960

Curator: This is Martin Schweig’s "Untitled (double rephotographed image of portrait of young man)." Editor: It's striking how ghostly the doubled portrait appears, almost like a photographic negative. I'm drawn to the visible material traces around each frame. Curator: Indeed, and thinking of its institutional life, this work resides in the Harvard Art Museums, raising questions about photography's place within established art historical narratives. How is photographic labor valued? Editor: Precisely. The image's means of production intrigues me—rephotographing suggests a manipulation of the original and a commentary on portraiture's purpose. Curator: The double image could represent the subject's changing identity across time. Editor: Or perhaps the industrial aspect of photography, churning out copies. The "Eastman Kodak Company" stamp is a reminder of the industry behind image-making. Curator: Schweig presents a challenge to understanding the photographic process and its impact on individual identity within the wider scope of history. Editor: And I'm left considering the labor inherent in photographic portraiture, and the ways we consume and transform images in the modern world.