Washington, DC 1988

Editor: Here we have Rosalind Solomon's "Washington, DC," a monochrome photograph from 1988. It's a portrait, seemingly of a woman in her bedroom. The intimacy of the space and the subject's gaze are quite striking. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: It’s interesting to consider Solomon’s choice of materials and techniques. The use of black and white film in 1988, a time when color photography was readily available, immediately makes me wonder about her intent. What social commentaries might she be making by removing color? Perhaps drawing focus to texture: the quilt, the subject’s hair, her skin? Editor: So, you see the medium itself as a conscious choice with potential meaning? Curator: Exactly. The photograph itself is a manufactured object; a product of specific processes. Think about the labor involved: the photographer’s setup, the developing process, and then consider the social context. What does it mean to present this subject, in this setting, to a potentially wide audience? Editor: I hadn’t considered the performative aspect, the act of being photographed itself as a type of labor. Curator: And what does the setting itself tell us? The afghan – who made it, how was it circulated, and what does it say about class and domesticity? These seemingly simple materials become loaded with meaning once we start asking these questions. How might its handcrafted nature speak against mass production? Editor: This makes me see how seemingly everyday objects and choices – like the quilt or black and white film – contribute to the work’s deeper meaning and connect to broader social narratives. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely! Looking at the artwork through a materialist lens can offer a different, insightful perspective.