Untitled (bride and groom posing in studio) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, showing a bride and groom posing in a studio. It almost looks like a film negative. What stands out to you? Curator: I'm drawn to the way the material reality of the photographic process shapes the image. It's not just capturing a wedding; it's about the labor of producing this specific kind of document and its inherent materiality. Editor: So, you see the technique as part of the story? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the social context: studio portraits were a specific form of consumption and display. The chemicals, the paper, the posing - all contribute to a material record of a social ritual. What do you think about that? Editor: I never thought about the photo itself as an artifact, but I can see how all those details contribute to its meaning. Thanks!