Plate Number 7. Walking 1887

Editor: Here we have Eadweard Muybridge's "Plate Number 7. Walking," a gelatin silver print from 1887. It’s a grid of photographs showing a nude man in motion. I find the breakdown of movement fascinating, but also a bit clinical. What do you see in this work, especially considering its historical context? Curator: I see a challenge to our conventional understanding of the body, power, and representation. Muybridge’s work emerged during a time when scientific racism and the objectification of the body were rampant. The clinical presentation you noted isn’t accidental. How might these sequential images be viewed as an early attempt to codify and categorize the human form? Consider its influence in fields beyond art, in criminology, for example, and the history of surveillance. Editor: So, it's not just about capturing movement; it's about using photography as a tool for observation and, potentially, control. I hadn't thought about those darker implications. Curator: Exactly. The male nude here, while seemingly objective, also carries specific connotations. Whose bodies are historically scrutinized and classified? Whose are deemed 'normal,' and whose are pathologized? Muybridge's work offers insights into these historical biases within science and art. Does understanding this social lens influence your impression? Editor: Absolutely. It makes me think about the power dynamics inherent in the act of photographing and analyzing a body, especially within the context of 19th-century social hierarchies. I’m seeing how this work engages with the power structures. Curator: Precisely. Considering these complexities reframes our understanding from simply viewing these photographs as early examples of stop-motion photography. They act as time capsules that speak to prevailing beliefs. Editor: I definitely have a more nuanced understanding now. It’s unsettling and thought-provoking all at once.