Waterworks Series #5, Boston, MA 1978

Curator: Rodger Kingston's "Waterworks Series #5, Boston, MA," presents a striking view of industrial machinery. The photograph is part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's stark and almost unsettling, isn't it? The muted colors and imposing scale of the equipment give it a rather ominous feel. Curator: Absolutely. Kingston, throughout his career, focused on these almost obsolete infrastructural elements. This particular image encapsulates the often-overlooked role of such systems in urban life. Editor: The repetition of cylindrical forms is interesting. The central red tank, flanked by the larger grey structures, evokes a sense of containment and pressure, and the red almost reads as blood. Curator: The choice of color definitely highlights the tension. Red has traditionally been a signifier of urgency, warning, and power. Editor: Seeing the photograph, I wonder if it's trying to comment on the hidden underbelly of societal comfort. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us that our modern lives are reliant on these very visible, yet often invisible, systems. Editor: A powerful reminder indeed, of how much we take for granted. Curator: Yes, Kingston offers a poignant image for reflecting on modern society.