Turpentine Worker, DuPont, Georgia 1937

Curator: Dorothea Lange's photograph, "Turpentine Worker, DuPont, Georgia," arrests the eye with its stark composition. Editor: It feels heavy, doesn’t it? The textures, the way the hat completely obscures the face… it's a portrait of exhaustion. Curator: Indeed. Lange’s use of black and white emphasizes the rough materiality of the wood and clothing, creating a visual language of hardship. The hat acts as a powerful signifier, both hiding and revealing. Editor: Right. It's protection, anonymity, burden all in one. I wonder what stories that hat could tell... Curator: It certainly encourages us to consider the complex interplay of labor and identity. Editor: It makes you think, doesn't it, about who we choose to see, and what remains unseen.