Untitled (portrait of two young women with bouquets, bridesmaids) 1944

Curator: This intriguing gelatin silver print, “Untitled (portrait of two young women with bouquets, bridesmaids)” by John Deusing presents quite the spectral image. Editor: It feels like a dream, or a memory barely held. So ethereal, like looking through fog. Curator: The photographic process here is key. The visible film markings along the border, the negative tonality - it all emphasizes the labor involved in image-making during this period. Editor: It almost strips away the romanticism usually associated with weddings. It’s interesting, seeing these women not as brides, but as almost ghostly figures. Curator: Absolutely. Deusing’s manipulation of light and shadow transforms what could be a straightforward portrait into a commentary on the construction of such images. Editor: I think it makes us consider the gap between reality and representation, like a veil is being lifted. Curator: Precisely, and to me that is what gives it its enduring appeal. Editor: A brief yet haunting glimpse, and now it fades back to the ether from whence it came.