Untitled (three men standing at oil well site) 1966

Curator: This photograph, currently titled "Untitled (three men standing at oil well site)," is by Harry Annas. I find its raw, documentary style really striking. Editor: There's almost a ghostly quality to it, perhaps a trick of the photographic negative. It feels like a snapshot of ambition, these figures silhouetted against what looks like an oil rig. Curator: The image does capture a specific moment in the history of resource extraction. Consider the men's attire. The hats indicate different roles, different levels of authority on site. Editor: That's it exactly. And the fact that it is a negative—it almost feels like it's revealing something hidden, some truth about the land and its exploitation. Curator: It's fascinating how a simple image can evoke so much about the social and political context of its time. Editor: Absolutely. A little piece of history captured in a ghostly frame.