Untitled (parents with two children and dog) c. 1950

Curator: John Howell's small, untitled photograph captures a family scene—parents seated on a couch with their two children and a watchful dog. Editor: The way the light almost etches them out makes them feel like ghosts of consumerism, doesn't it? That sofa looks heavy, overstuffed. Curator: Howell seems fascinated with the textures here, from the patterned rug to the floral drapes. The family unit, embalmed in fabric. Editor: It is an odd portrait. Given that it's a photograph, this image becomes about the chemical processes that create an impression, a moment. Curator: I'm struck by how much this image of an intimate family scene hints at isolation. Even the dog seems to be looking for an escape. Editor: It is, after all, just silver halide crystals doing their thing on a strip of celluloid. The real human interaction escapes. Curator: That's a rather bleak perspective, don't you think? Still, it is an evocative piece, and there is plenty to consider. Editor: Maybe so, but consider the layers, the emulsion, the developer. It all adds up, literally.