A Shopper at the Fair, Columbus, Ohio 1980

Editor: Here we have Ming Smith’s 1980 photograph, "A Shopper at the Fair, Columbus, Ohio." The grainy black and white gives it an otherworldly feel, like a memory half-forgotten. The back of this shopper almost blends in with the vibrant painted backdrop. What’s your interpretation of this work? Curator: What I find particularly compelling about this image is how Ming Smith captures the liminal space between the real and the represented. It speaks to the constructed nature of identity and experience within public spaces. Think about the fair, the stage, and the stereotypical mural images–the dancer and the surfer. Editor: You mean how they almost clash with each other, those staged tropical images and the working-class reality of the fair-goer? Curator: Precisely! Consider also the context of the time. In 1980, issues of race and class were highly visible. How does this image engage with those issues, would you say? Does the monochromatic treatment flatten everything or draw your eye to the social commentary in the tableau? Editor: It's like the photograph layers different realities on top of each other: the painted fantasy behind him, the material reality of his clothes and bag, and the hazy processing creating distance for the viewer, layering interpretation upon experience. Curator: Absolutely. Smith’s choice of black and white elevates the social realities that exist for this 'shopper'. What if it were in colour, what voices do you imagine would disappear? What histories would fade to background? Editor: It definitely gives me a lot to think about, seeing how photography can reveal hidden aspects of social reality. Curator: Indeed. The beauty of art is its ability to spark these kinds of conversations. Smith really encourages a deeper understanding of representation and societal structures.