Miles Brewton House 1971 - 1972

Curator: David Gentleman's print, "Miles Brewton House," presents a rigid architectural form. The dark windows create a pattern, an almost musical arrangement against the red brick. Editor: That symmetry feels like a carefully constructed facade, doesn't it? Knowing this house was built in the late 1760s by a slave trader adds a disturbing layer to that order. Curator: Absolutely. The cool precision is jarring when you consider the history. The perfect balance of the columns and windows contrasts with the brutal realities of its wealth. Editor: It’s a stark reminder that these idealized images often obscure the uncomfortable truths of the past. The image feels almost complicit in its silence. Curator: Indeed. The print invites us to consider how these images can uphold existing power structures, and how we can use art to challenge those systems. Editor: The composition's rigid geometry reveals just how much critical perspective we, as viewers, must bring to it.