Untitled (man and woman dining at table) c. 1949

Editor: Here we see a photograph by Ken Whitmire Associates, simply titled "man and woman dining at table." The negative image creates a ghostly, theatrical feel. What stands out to you? Curator: Notice the table setting: the glassware, the silverware, the very *stuff* of a specific class and social ritual. It hints at the labor involved in maintaining this scene, the hands that arranged it. Editor: So, you're thinking about the socio-economic context suggested by the photograph? Curator: Precisely. Consider the material culture on display—the trappings of leisure and its reliance on systems of production, labor, and ultimately, consumption. Are we meant to admire or critique?