Untitled (portrait of man and woman, wearing patterned shirts) c. 1950

Curator: This arresting photographic negative by John Howell shows a man and a woman, both in patterned shirts. There’s a stark formality to it. Editor: Yes, it’s strangely unsettling. The reversal of light and shadow gives them an almost ghostly presence, draining away any immediate sense of warmth. Curator: The production of photographic negatives offered a means of distribution and mass-reproduction, shifting portraiture away from the elite and towards the everyday. Editor: How interesting that Howell’s choice to leave it as a negative challenges conventional presentation and the social function of photographs within institutions. Curator: Indeed, it disrupts our consumption of the image, reminding us of the labour involved in creating a "finished" photograph. Editor: It also makes me consider the role of museums in shaping how we view even seemingly simple portraits. Curator: A fitting piece to consider the socio-cultural weight behind a seemingly straightforward medium. Editor: I agree; Howell prompts us to question what we think we know about the ordinary image.