Getting Ready to Take a Picture of John Szarkowski's History of Photography Class 1997

Curator: Elsa Dorfman's "Getting Ready to Take a Picture of John Szarkowski's History of Photography Class" offers a peek behind the scenes. Editor: My first impression is one of starkness—the plain backdrop, the row of mismatched chairs, create a slightly unsettling, theatrical space. Curator: The chairs evoke a waiting room, perhaps, or even a stage—hinting at the performative aspect of photography and the anticipation of a class portrait. They symbolize the individual personalities within a collective. Editor: Precisely, but consider the composition. The light is flat, almost clinical, emphasizing the texture and form of each chair, and contrasting with the human figure in the center. The chairs are the main feature, more so than the person. Curator: The choice of chairs might be symbolic too—each style represents a different era or approach to design, echoing the history of photography itself. Editor: Perhaps. The image, however, is so incredibly staged as to suggest the superficiality of any attempt to capture the essence of Szarkowski's class within one frame. Curator: It’s a fascinating play between capturing a moment and constructing one, isn't it? Editor: Indeed. A very self-conscious staging, if you will.