Untitled (West Allis football team) 1948

Curator: This is an intriguing silver gelatin print by John Deusing, an "Untitled" image featuring the West Allis football team. It's roughly 8 by 10 inches. Editor: Stark. The high contrast and reversal of tones creates a spectral effect, almost like an apparition of this athletic group. Curator: Precisely, the composition is quite rigid, a familiar formation for team portraits, yet inverted, destabilizing any sense of easy reading. The light emphasizes the numerals on the jerseys. Editor: I'm drawn to the physical process itself, the darkroom alchemy and the labor required to create this object, imbued with a sense of place and time. Curator: Indeed, its aesthetic power lies in the tension between its surface appearance and its underlying structure. Editor: For me, its historical weight comes from its recording of local community and the means of image production itself. Curator: A compelling convergence of artistic vision and social history. Editor: Leaving us to consider the enduring power of photographic materials.