Untitled (montage of President Lyndon B. Johnson on TV) c. 1969

Editor: This is Richard Lebowitz's striking "Untitled (montage of President Lyndon B. Johnson on TV)." It's a black and white image of LBJ's face repeated on what looks like television screens. It feels really claustrophobic. What do you make of it? Curator: It reminds me of a swarm, doesn't it? All those faces, that singular presence amplified and repeated. Perhaps it speaks to the ubiquity of media, the way a figure can dominate our consciousness. Do you feel the image celebrates or critiques this phenomenon? Editor: I guess it feels more like a critique. Like, is he watching us or are we watching him? Curator: Exactly! It's unsettling. It challenges us to consider the power dynamics at play when a single image can be endlessly replicated and consumed. It's like we are all trapped together in some weird broadcast loop. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but that makes a lot of sense. It is kind of creepy. Curator: It’s like the artist is holding up a mirror to our own mediated reality. Makes you want to switch off the TV, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely something to think about. Thanks!