Multiple Exposure, Man's Face 1938 - 1939

Editor: So, this is Nathan Lerner’s "Multiple Exposure, Man's Face," created between 1938 and 1939, using photography with multiple exposure techniques. It's got a dreamlike quality, almost like looking into someone’s subconscious. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Well, let's think about the labor and materials involved. This isn't a straightforward snap; multiple exposure in that era meant meticulous darkroom work, layering images with precise control. It’s fascinating to consider the artist’s hand in physically manipulating the photographic process, bending the indexical nature of the medium itself. How does the technique itself, this laborious process, shape the meaning for you? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't really considered the hands-on aspect. I guess I was focusing more on the final image, the sort of surreal effect. Now, thinking about the process… I wonder if it was about revealing multiple facets of a person. Curator: Exactly! And in the context of the late 1930s, think about the growing industrialization and mechanization of labor. Here's Lerner using a technical process, photography, to explore the complexities of human identity, perhaps commenting on the fragmentation of self in a rapidly changing world. Notice how the blurred superimposition mirrors commodity culture’s inundation? What boundaries are blurred, in your opinion? Editor: I see what you mean, and I was so focused on "realism versus abstraction," that it's interesting to hear about that perspective and its connection to society and manufacturing processes. Curator: It pushes beyond simple representation, using material manipulation to question the very notion of a singular, stable identity. Something to consider is where mass reproduction and artistic exploration meet to challenge established categories. Editor: I definitely appreciate how you’ve brought the material process and the cultural context together; it’s given me a whole new lens through which to view the artwork. Thanks! Curator: And seeing your perspective enriches my own understanding of the immediate reception to the images created using mass production! Thank you for sharing your perspective, as well!