Untitled (girl at table with presents) c. 1950

Editor: This is "Untitled (girl at table with presents)" by Lucian and Mary Brown. It's a small, almost ghostly photograph. I'm curious about the materiality of the photographic process itself here. What can you tell me? Curator: Notice how the image presents the negative. This immediately draws attention to the photographic process. What impact does viewing the labor and materials of image-making have on your understanding of the content? Editor: It makes me consider the steps involved, almost like looking behind the scenes. It demystifies the image. Curator: Precisely. The artists confront us with the means of production, challenging our consumption of the image. Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't thought about it that way.