Construct XII-A 1981

Editor: Here we have Barbara Kasten’s "Construct XII-A" from 1981. It seems to be a photograph of geometric shapes, with striking colors and shadows. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see an emphasis on the means of production. Kasten's process becomes visible, challenging any notion of a purely representational photograph. The arrangement of materials—glass, mirrors, perhaps painted surfaces—and the labor involved in their construction are central. Editor: So, it's less about what it depicts and more about how it was made? Curator: Precisely. It asks us to consider the materiality of photography and its relationship to sculpture and installation. We must consider how the artist subverts traditional notions of photographic representation. Editor: I see how focusing on the materials and the process really opens up new ways of thinking about the artwork.