Untitled (people dressed as clowns) c. 1950

Curator: This peculiar silver gelatin print, approximately 5x7 inches, presents a group of figures costumed as clowns by the photographer C. Bennette Moore. Editor: Wow, it's got a delightfully creepy vibe, doesn't it? A carnival of inverted smiles! Curator: Indeed. The reversal of tones inherent in the negative process emphasizes the constructed nature of identity and performance, especially in photographic portraits. Editor: I keep getting drawn to the texture, or what I imagine the texture to be. The stiff ruffles of the costumes, those pointy hats... I can practically feel the starched fabric. Curator: The material culture of the theatrical is certainly present, even in its photographic representation. The means of representing the image is integral to understanding the context. Editor: I think this piece reminds us that appearances are so often deceiving, that there is a darkness hiding just below the surface of joy. Curator: Precisely, and the means of photographic production underscores that very deception. Editor: Something to remember when we're caught up in the spectacle, I suppose.