Untitled (young woman in fancy riding outfit) c. 1975

Editor: So, this is "Untitled (young woman in fancy riding outfit)" by Ken Whitmire Associates. It's a black and white photograph, and she's got this huge, hopeful smile. It feels very staged, almost like a portrait for a magazine. What do you make of it? Curator: It does have that posed quality, doesn't it? The saddle, the hat...they all scream performance. I see someone trying on a role, a fantasy. It’s like she's channeling a Western heroine, but with a very 70s kind of glamour. Do you think she’s comfortable in that getup? Editor: Hmm, interesting. I hadn’t thought about the performance aspect. I was just caught up in the smile. It's so...earnest. I guess I see now that it's more complex than that.