Untitled ("VIP office") c. 1970

Curator: This photograph, by Michael Mathers, is titled "Untitled ('VIP office')." Note the dimensions: roughly 21 by 17 centimeters. What's your initial reaction? Editor: Bleak, yet darkly comic. That sad little light bulb above the "VIP office" door—it feels like a stage set for a forgotten play. Curator: The image speaks volumes about the ironies of power and access, doesn't it? The peeling paint, the dilapidated chair, and the grandiose title create a powerful tension. Editor: Exactly! It’s poking fun at the idea of exclusivity. I wonder about the people who used that door. Were they in on the joke, or completely oblivious? Curator: Perhaps Mathers is inviting us to consider the structures of power in everyday spaces and how they are often maintained through performative gestures, such as labeling. Editor: It’s definitely made me rethink my own assumptions about VIP spaces. Thanks for sharing your insights. Curator: Likewise. It's a stark reminder that perception is often more powerful than reality.