Orgeval 1974

Editor: This is Paul Strand’s 1974 photograph, "Orgeval," a gelatin silver print. At first glance, it appears to be a collection of leaves and foliage. What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, this image is compelling as an index of the labor involved in producing such a sharp image. Strand was known for his commitment to straight photography; his engagement with modernism meant he embraced technology but also insisted on an artistic presence and its subsequent presentation. Can we even calculate the sheer quantity of images that he would have shot and developed to get such a refined picture? It pushes against any idea of instantaneous or easily replicable. Editor: So the image isn't just about the leaves, but about the work involved in the photography? Curator: Precisely. Look at the different types of labor at play. Strand's own, but also the people that worked in gelatin production, silver mining, even the forestry workers who provided the wood for his camera! The work hints at broader questions, doesn't it, about resources and production. He wants to showcase these beautiful textures, the way silver can capture light, and this almost acts as a form of promotion of photography itself. Do you see a hierarchy? Editor: Not necessarily, the level of detail given to each leaf indicates everything plays an important role. I think I get a clearer understanding of materiality than when I began. Curator: Yes, and remember Strand wasn’t simply showing nature; he was showing its material form and its link to a world of production and exchange, even the paper itself becomes meaningful. He reminds us nothing exists in isolation.