Untitled (woman looking past flowers into mirror) c. 1950

Curator: John Howell’s Untitled photograph captures a woman gazing into a mirror, with flowers positioned artfully between her and her reflection. It's a small gelatin silver print, only about 5 by 4 inches. Editor: It’s striking how the inversion of tones gives it an ethereal quality, like a memory. The textures seem to ripple off the surface. Curator: These inverted tones are due to it being a photographic negative. It perhaps emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty and presentation, the artifice involved. What power dynamics are at play? Editor: Indeed. The choice of materials, though, speaks volumes. Gelatin silver prints were common, but their accessibility made photography a tool for a wider range of artists, challenging established hierarchies. Curator: Absolutely. Photography became democratized, allowing for new voices and perspectives to enter the artistic conversation. Editor: It makes you think about the labor involved, both the photographer’s and the woman’s in curating her appearance. Curator: A fascinating piece that prompts us to consider the social context of image-making and self-representation. Editor: It’s a humble medium revealing complex layers.