Untitled (family on couch by window) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have "Untitled (family on couch by window)," a black and white photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown. It's quite small, and the inversion of tones gives it an eerie feel. What strikes you about this photograph? Curator: The photographic process itself is key here. We see the raw material of film, manipulated to capture a staged domestic scene. The labor involved, from setting the shot to developing the negative, speaks to a specific social practice of family portraiture and its consumption. Editor: So, you are focusing on the making and the context rather than, say, the family dynamic portrayed? Curator: Precisely. The image becomes an artifact, revealing the means of production and the social rituals tied to photographic technology. It makes me wonder about the family's access to, and engagement with, this technology. Editor: I hadn't considered that angle; it’s fascinating to think about it as a product of labor and technology. Curator: Exactly! It shifts our perspective from the sentimental to the material.