The Hollywood Suites (Mirrors) #2 1976

Editor: Here we have Steve Kahn’s "The Hollywood Suites (Mirrors) #2," a gelatin silver print from 1976. It’s stark, almost ghostly, with that mottled rectangle dominating the frame. It feels like I'm staring at a decaying portal. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This image, while seemingly simple, opens up a complex dialogue about representation and reality in 1970s Hollywood. Kahn is appropriating the language of the photo essay to subtly critique the manufactured image of celebrity and glamour. The mirror, or rather, the damaged representation of a mirror, becomes a powerful symbol. Editor: So, the imperfections are deliberate? The blurring, the deterioration… Curator: Precisely! Consider how Hollywood often constructs idealized images, especially of women. Kahn’s broken mirror disrupts this, forcing us to confront the artificiality and decay that lie beneath the surface. It's a deconstruction of the gaze itself. Editor: Like, questioning who’s doing the looking and why? Curator: Exactly. Whose reflection *isn’t* present? Who *isn't* allowed into this 'Hollywood Suite'? Consider the era; feminist art was challenging dominant narratives, and artists were keenly aware of the power dynamics inherent in image-making. This work becomes a subtle act of resistance. Do you find this resonates today? Editor: Absolutely! The questions about image construction, especially in social media, are still so relevant. I’ll never look at a photograph the same way again. Curator: It highlights how art can serve as a powerful lens through which we can examine societal power structures. And that perhaps mirrors are only able to capture only fragmented truths.