Lenora Trussell, Kathy Kigin, and Sam Trussell 1989

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at Nancy Andrews’ black and white photograph from 1989, titled "Lenora Trussell, Kathy Kigin, and Sam Trussell". The work, done in the realist style, is a photographic portrait. Editor: My first thought is, what a tender picture. There’s an immediacy to it that I just love. It feels so…real. Like a candid snapshot but with an underlying weight of emotion. The embrace feels everything! Curator: Exactly! This image really pulls at something deeply human, tapping into archetypes like family and connection. I'm seeing motifs of caregiving in this seemingly spontaneous family photo, especially considering it's monochrome. Editor: What’s fascinating is how much it says without explicitly spelling things out. Look at that child clutching that bird, for instance. The gesture is just everything, isn’t it? I mean, there's something about the intimate connection of people with their pets... it speaks of safety and security, that desire for gentle contact! It makes the image vibrate with empathy. Curator: That image of human-animal bonding has deep historical roots in the imagery of St. Francis, although that connection now presents very differently in a family snapshot taken on a front porch. There's a shift from explicitly sacred displays to a demotic expression. Also notice the black dog sitting by the women sitting on the front porch, as they hold small furry pets of their own. Andrews plays beautifully with contrasting figures and poses here. Editor: The texture! Oh my gosh. You’ve got the feather patterns of the bird contrasted against the texture of brick...the fuzz of a puppy... all caught in sharp focus. It almost feels like Andrews is showing off...but not quite. Curator: Definitely! Her choice to render the entire scene in black and white amplifies the contrasts, but the lack of explicit colour prompts us to read more deeply, too. Editor: Absolutely. It invites you to slow down, to really *look*, to see the connections that might otherwise go unnoticed. I’m almost overwhelmed by all those tiny pets; and then there are those family bonds that extend even towards them! It's a portrait of the bonds between human and animals, and it has so much to tell. Curator: It definitely captures something about belonging in its purest form, despite the quiet melancholy hanging around in this grayscale family picture. Editor: True. Now I feel like I've actually made three new friends! It’s those surprising connections that stick with you.