Untitled (woman and little girl on grass) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Howell, showing a woman and little girl on grass. There isn't a date for it. The inverted tones give it a slightly eerie feeling, almost like a memory. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The inverted image asks us to reflect on the photographic medium itself. Who is empowered to create such images? Consider the gaze, the historical power dynamics between photographer and subject, and how that intersects with gender and age. Are we seeing a celebration of female intimacy, or something more complex? Editor: So it is more than just an image of a mother and daughter in a garden? Curator: Precisely. The very act of photographing, of capturing an image, is never neutral. It's always a negotiation of power and representation. It invites us to question whose stories are told, and how. Editor: That's a powerful perspective. I hadn't considered the politics of photography itself. Curator: Art is a mirror reflecting our own biases and beliefs.