Untitled (group portrait of girls with priest) 1959

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by John Deusing, depicting a group portrait of girls with a priest. The image is quite striking, almost ghostly. What can you tell us about it? Curator: Let’s consider the labor involved. How many hands contributed to this image? The photographer, of course, but also the subjects, the developers of the film, and even the manufacturer of the photographic paper. The priest's labor of leading and organizing the girls must be considered as well. Editor: That’s a fascinating perspective. I never considered the sheer amount of work and material that goes into creating what seems like a single image. Curator: It forces us to question the value we place on the final product versus the means of its production and the social context it represents.