Chemical Plant 1991

Editor: This is James Casebere’s “Chemical Plant,” a black and white photograph of what appears to be a model. It feels so stark, almost like a stage set. What do you make of this image? Curator: The photograph presents an interesting tension, doesn’t it? The model, the lighting, it all contributes to a sense of constructed reality. How does this “stage set” comment on the real world impact of chemical plants in our society, particularly in terms of environmental impact and public health? Editor: That's a good point. It almost seems too clean, too perfect, for something that has such a complicated legacy. Curator: Exactly. Casebere often explored the unsettling nature of utopian ideals. What do you think he is trying to say about progress and industry through this sterilized representation? Editor: I hadn’t considered that, but now it does seem to highlight the artificiality and maybe even the dangers lurking beneath the surface of industrialization. Curator: Precisely. Art like this encourages us to question the narratives we are told about progress. Editor: Thanks, I hadn't thought of it that way.