Untitled ("To Be Tried") 1971

Editor: This is Donald Blumberg's "Untitled (To Be Tried)." It's a monochromatic print featuring a reproduced newspaper clipping. The image is stark, and the text feels accusatory. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Considering Blumberg's focus on the politics of imagery, this piece critiques the socio-political implications of the Vietnam War. The newspaper article frames Lieutenant Calley, but the very act of displaying the news this way makes us question its narrative and the public role of media during wartime. Editor: So, you’re saying Blumberg is prompting us to analyze the power dynamics at play in how war crimes are presented? Curator: Precisely. Blumberg encourages us to think about how institutions shape our perceptions and about the politics of imagery in shaping public opinion. Editor: I didn't think of it that way initially. It’s powerful to consider the layers of institutional critique embedded within the piece.