Untitled (view from below of nine children posing on outdoor patio with man watching above) 1961

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, showing children on a patio. The negative perspective gives it a strange, almost confrontational feel. What are your thoughts on the image? Curator: I'm struck by the power dynamics at play. The children, posed and observed from below, become objects of the adult gaze positioned above. This raises questions about visibility, surveillance, and who holds the power to define the narrative. Editor: It does feel like a deliberate choice to shoot from this angle. Curator: Exactly. How does this composition influence our understanding of childhood and the act of observation? Editor: It definitely makes me reconsider the usual innocent portrayal of children. Thanks for pointing that out!