Untitled (boy in plaid and girl in dots seated on bench in studio) 1934

Curator: This intriguing photographic image from John Deusing features a boy and girl formally posed on a bench. It reads as an early 20th-century studio portrait. Editor: There’s a certain haunting quality, isn’t there? The stark tonality emphasizes the patterns in their clothing, flattening the space. Curator: The composition is interesting; the subjects’ gaze meets ours directly. The background seems to fall away almost completely. Are they performers? What societal expectations are being communicated? Editor: Perhaps. I'm drawn to the textural contrast, the rough plaid of the boy's suit juxtaposed against the girl's dotted dress. Curator: The image certainly provides a moment for reflection. Editor: Yes, one wonders what their future held.