Untitled (Hope you're fine) 1983

Editor: Here we have Bill Dane's black and white photograph, "Untitled (Hope you're fine)." The image shows a person examining shoes in a display case. The materials almost feel incidental to the overall scene. What do you make of the presentation of consumerism here? Curator: The focus is less on the shoes themselves, and more on the act of looking, the labor involved in both selling and consuming. The artificial Christmas tree, the person's casual attire—it speaks to the everyday processes of constructing desire and value. What kind of social dynamics do you think this photograph reveals? Editor: I see how the image captures the intersection of personal style and commercial display. Thanks for highlighting that. Curator: It shows how deeply embedded consumerism is within our daily lives.