Untitled (boy shooting rifle) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, titled "boy shooting rifle." The negative image creates a strange sense of unease for me. What do you make of it? Curator: It's a fascinating choice by the Browns, isn't it? The reversed tones throw our expectations off balance. It almost feels like a dream, doesn't it? A slightly unsettling one, given the subject. Editor: Yes, exactly! The weapon combined with that dreamlike quality is disturbing. Curator: Perhaps the artists wanted us to question the clarity of our perceptions, especially when dealing with potent symbols like that rifle. Or maybe they just liked the aesthetic jolt. What do you think? Editor: I think it makes me question assumptions, about childhood and innocence. It certainly worked! Curator: Indeed. Art that makes us ponder, that's the good stuff.