Untitled c. 1911

Curator: Welcome! We’re looking at an “Untitled” gelatin silver print from around 1911, made by the studio of Spooner & Wells. It is a stunning photograph. Editor: I’m struck by the rigidity. The severe geometric forms and monochromatic palette give it an almost intimidating presence. It's cold, despite being a photograph of a machine designed, ultimately, for human pleasure. Curator: That rigidity, I think, speaks to the burgeoning Modernist aesthetic. The stark presentation abandons pictorial softness, favoring instead sharp focus and a celebration of the mechanical. This shift towards industrial themes reveals profound societal transformations impacting urban populations. Who was given the right to move and at what costs? Editor: Yes, this form also carries symbolic echoes of early 20th-century social stratification. Automobiles instantly signaled status and a departure from previous modes of mobility. This feels charged by ideas of exclusive progress. Curator: Indeed! The automobile embodies the technological optimism of the era, but this vision excluded many marginalized communities. I'm compelled by its symbolic weight in a deeply unequal context. Editor: It's amazing to see how photographic choices, like this rigid, unembellished angle, further enhance the aura of industrial advancement. These clean lines also represent authority in this specific subject matter. There is a clear message embedded. Curator: Absolutely, and we have to question that message. Who is the target audience? Which experiences of modernity does this photograph deliberately obscure through this formal, geometric precision? This still life photograph highlights that specific demographic by showing who had the ability to access the photographed material, or a car in general, at this time. Editor: Looking closer, even the wheel spokes are like stylized sun symbols radiating outward – symbols of ambition or even of the Sun King! A common reference throughout art history when one has reached a certain level of stature or authority. Curator: Thinking critically, the symbolism invites us to investigate the lived experience of modernity for those who lacked access to its 'miracles.' Whose experiences were excluded from that symbolism, and how might we make that more transparent? Editor: This prompts me to reconsider my initial impression, viewing the "Untitled" piece beyond pure formalism. Its visual language speaks volumes. Curator: Yes, the piece embodies a larger critical framework when we begin thinking of the viewer’s place and relationship with the materials in front of us. It calls us to question these issues!