Untitled #48 (Sally Salt Says) 1999

Editor: So, this is Anna Gaskell’s "Untitled #48 (Sally Salt Says)," a C-print from 1999. It's got this voyeuristic feel to it. A woman, or girl, is trying on a pale jumpsuit in a dark room filled with clothes, mostly white vintage dresses. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see this photograph through the lens of constructed identity. Gaskell, working in the late 90s, really engaged with the socio-political narratives around femininity that were being challenged. Think about how fashion functions in the public sphere, it is always coded. We often don’t think how deeply implicated clothes are, fashion and display are in forming our sense of self. What happens in the private sphere of a closet or bedroom? Editor: That's interesting. So the darkness and the vintage clothes are a commentary on societal expectations? Curator: Precisely! The slightly blurred effect of the c-print adds another layer. Is she rehearsing for a social role? A "Sally Salt," whatever that may imply. Does it suggest that identity is somewhat staged, constructed from what is available – clothes, trends, expectations? Who is 'Sally Salt' and who creates her meaning? Editor: The title makes more sense now. It sounds like a prompt, a direction. This staged concept contrasts with what looks like a candid shot of a woman trying things in the safety of their home. But that isn't happening here! Curator: Right! Think of this as a space to consider, How do these elements inform each other? And, importantly, whose gaze are we adopting when we look at her looking? Are we being invited, or are we trespassing? Editor: I hadn’t considered the voyeuristic gaze as being a tool! Thanks! It’s fascinating how historical context reshapes the initial impression. Curator: Indeed! It is about learning to question what makes our own "Sally Salt," too!