The Brown Sisters, Allston, Massachusetts 1983

Nicholas Nixon made this gelatin silver print, of the Brown sisters in Allston, Massachusetts. Photography, often considered a purely representational medium, is deeply rooted in material processes. Nixon’s choice of gelatin silver printing, a technique refined in the late 19th century, influences the photograph's appearance, lending a particular tonality and depth to the black and white image. This process involves coating paper with a light-sensitive emulsion of silver halides in gelatin, which, when exposed to light through a negative, creates a latent image, further developed to reveal the final print. The inherent qualities of gelatin silver prints – their capacity for detail, subtle tonal variations, and archival stability – are on full display here. The Brown sisters, rendered in sharp focus, are imbued with a sense of timelessness. Nixon engaged with a well-established tradition of photographic portraiture. The labor involved, from the careful setup of the large format camera to the meticulous darkroom work, underscores the value of skilled handcraft in photography. Ultimately, understanding the materials, processes, and context enriches our perception, prompting a deeper understanding of the artistry involved.