Amateur Golfer c. 1967

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, “Amateur Golfer” by Harold Edgerton, dates back to around 1967. The spiraling motion of the golf club is mesmerizing. What strikes me is how Edgerton dissects this action into discrete, almost manufactured components. What's your interpretation? Curator: It's crucial to look at Edgerton's method. Consider the physical labor and innovative techniques used to capture this image. Stroboscopic photography wasn't just about freezing a moment; it was about revealing the hidden mechanics of movement. Editor: So, it’s not just the aesthetics, but also the process behind it? Curator: Exactly. How does the labor involved influence our understanding of leisure activities, like golf? The image also raises the question: where does high art begin and scientific inquiry end? His "stop-action" process was innovative and it blurs the lines. Think of the resources consumed, the materials developed… all for capturing this one swing. Editor: I never thought about the materials in that light. All that technical development boils down to documenting…golf. It seems almost subversive, highlighting production and labor within something we consider leisurely. Curator: Precisely. What does it say about our consumption habits when even our leisure is subject to this level of material analysis and technological intervention? Think about what materials he chose. Editor: This perspective shifts my understanding completely! I came in thinking about art and I’m leaving considering the means of production! Curator: It’s about looking beyond the surface and asking: What are the systems – material, economic, and social – that enable and define this image, and, by extension, our world?