Untitled (medium format images of boy posed sitting on chair holding toy car) 1967

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig of a boy with a toy car. It’s a medium format image, and the negative presentation emphasizes the materiality of the photographic process itself. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, given its likely domestic origin, consider the means of production. This isn't a mass-produced image, but something crafted. How does that change our understanding of the boy's social standing, access to material goods, or the labor involved in creating this portrait? Editor: That’s an interesting point. I hadn't considered the labor involved in making a photograph like this, especially compared to today's digital snapshots. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: Precisely. Thinking about the materiality reshapes our understanding of the social and economic context of the image itself.