Untitled (man and woman posed in studio in western wear) c. 1975

Curator: This photograph, taken by Ken Whitmire Associates, is simply titled "Untitled (man and woman posed in studio in western wear)". It's a fascinating study of constructed identity. Editor: It has such a staged feel. Like a frontier Halloween costume party gone slightly wrong? There's a solemnity that almost feels humorous. Curator: The man's attire, particularly the fringed leggings and the rifle, speak to a romanticized, perhaps even fetishized, view of the American West. The woman’s dress also references that time period, while she stands formally, almost like a statue. Editor: They both seem so…uncomfortable. It’s like they are playing a role for the camera. That is the most telling thing. Curator: Exactly, we can read it as a commentary on the performance of gender, the mythologizing of the Western frontier, and even the commercialization of identity through fashion. Editor: I agree. It all seems intentional to create a narrative. Like a scene plucked from a play, or a movie, that never was! Curator: Indeed. It gives us so much to consider about how we construct and consume images of ourselves and others. Editor: And leaves me wondering what their authentic selves truly look like.