Untitled (portrait of a woman in a swimsuit) c. 1950s

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, and it features a woman in a swimsuit. Editor: The image possesses such eerie, ghostly qualities; it makes one consider the technical process used to capture it. Curator: Absolutely, this is a negative image, which plays with conventions of representation, and reverses our expectations. Consider the historical context. How was the female body presented, perceived, and consumed? Editor: The material reality of the swimsuit itself—its construction, its texture, the social rituals surrounding its use—all speak to the economics of leisure and fashion. Curator: I agree. The image is a loaded signifier within the narrative of women's evolving roles. We must consider how it challenges social norms and speaks to empowerment. Editor: In the end, the image is an object created under particular conditions and from specific materials, embodying larger economic structures. Curator: Indeed. The image is more than meets the eye. Editor: Definitely.