Untitled (medium format images of young girl sitting on couch in living room) 1961

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig. It shows two medium format images of a young girl sitting on a couch in a living room. The negative presentation gives it such a ghostly, intriguing feel. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The inversion immediately brings to mind questions of representation and visibility, especially in the context of childhood. Who is allowed to be seen, and how are they seen? Consider the power dynamics at play in the act of photographing a child, especially within the domestic sphere. Does the negative image subvert or reinforce those power structures? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn’t considered that angle. I was so focused on the aesthetic of the inverted image. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to consider the gaze, both the photographer's and our own, and how it shapes our understanding of identity and innocence. Editor: This has really broadened my perspective. I’ll definitely look at photography differently now.