Plate Number 64. Running at full speed 1887

Curator: Let's discuss "Plate Number 64. Running at full speed" by Eadweard Muybridge, created in 1887, a gelatin-silver print. Editor: The figure's rigid form, rendered in muted tones, seems to challenge the very idea of motion it’s trying to capture. It almost feels like a study in constraints rather than freedom. Curator: Indeed. Muybridge’s work here comes out of a long nineteenth-century trend to empirically understand movement. He’s breaking down this single action into its component parts, presenting us with something to be measured. Editor: But what about the implications of dismembering the human form like this? The complete objectivity is almost chilling. It evokes narratives about surveillance and the objectification of bodies, recalling discussions about power dynamics. Curator: That reading isn’t completely unfounded. Muybridge achieved this breakdown using a sequence of cameras triggered by tripwires; consider the industrial labor invested in producing it. Editor: Let's consider also the racial undertones implicit in such scientific endeavours. In an era defined by anthropological inquiry, this image raises serious questions about the authority to scrutinize, study, and categorize based on racial categories, Curator: I am sympathetic to your position. Muybridge's scientific pursuits intersected with broader societal norms and power structures. Though these images often documented human and animal movement for scientific analysis, their very creation relied upon specific material resources like photographic plates, chemicals, and equipment and human capital. Editor: Beyond just documenting motion, the series also became crucial in the genesis of cinema and its ability to produce meaning. Consider this a foundational text that would later influence everything from animation to film. Curator: Fascinating. From a technological advancement that captures movement into individual frames to a narrative reflection on surveillance, Muybridge’s running figure reveals more than meets the eye. Editor: It definitely shows us how deeply intertwined art, technology, and social forces always are. It's a reminder that every scientific quest happens in society.