Untitled (family with four young children posed sitting in living room) 1961

Curator: Here we have an intriguing photograph, simply titled "Untitled (family with four young children posed sitting in living room)" by Martin Schweig, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The immediate impression is almost ghostly, isn't it? The stark contrast and reversed tones give the scene a dreamlike, slightly unsettling quality. Curator: Indeed. The photographic process itself is central here. Notice how the reversed tones draw attention to the materiality of the image. What kind of film was used, and how did that impact the final print? These are vital questions. Editor: But consider the symbolism! A family portrait, traditionally a symbol of unity and stability, is rendered here in a state of almost eerie imbalance. What does this inversion suggest about the artist's view of family or domestic life? Curator: I’m more interested in the socio-economic context. What kind of labour went into maintaining this home, this family? The objects within the image are signifiers of mid-century domestic consumption. Editor: I suppose it's this dance between the familiar and the uncanny that truly holds my attention. Curator: For me, it’s how an everyday scene is made strange through manipulation of the photographic process.