Shallow Bower 

Editor: Here we have Devin Leonardi’s "Shallow Bower", a photographic landscape that’s almost entirely blue. It features two children wading in what appears to be a stream or shallow body of water. What strikes me most is the monochromatic color palette; it feels so unnatural, like a dream. What's your perspective on this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating how Leonardi uses the photographic process here. Look at the print itself. The specific shade of blue is probably no accident. It suggests cyanotype. Think of the early history of photography— cyanotypes were a cheap and easy alternative method of image production. It’s like the artist is drawing our attention to the means of production itself. The striking hue transforms a potentially straightforward pastoral image into something more complex, hinting at labor and its cost. Editor: I didn’t consider the cyanotype process, so, materially, that suggests labor constraints. Are you saying this is a commentary on the historical labor practices related to photographic processes? Curator: Perhaps indirectly. It invites questions about access and value. What kind of labor is typically devalued or overlooked? Early photographic processes like cyanotypes, once necessary due to financial limitations, might become an artistic choice reflecting both constraint and innovative artistic creation. Where does utility end and art begin, or, rather, are they inherently linked? Editor: So, Leonardi is encouraging us to consider not only the subject, but also the photographic methods themselves as historically charged materials? That completely shifts how I see the image! Curator: Precisely! This piece really demonstrates how materiality shapes meaning and invites us to think critically about the socio-economic implications embedded within artistic practices. Editor: I see so much more in this work now, especially how materials and the artistic processes interact and shape cultural context!