Route 110, L.I. 1979

Editor: This is Eric Baden's "Route 110, L.I.," a black and white photograph. There is a certain griminess and industrial feel to it, with the vans and the overhead electrical lines. What do you see in this piece from a materialist perspective? Curator: Notice how the artist documents not just the scene but the means of conveyance and infrastructure. The vans, objects of labor and leisure, are positioned beneath a dense network of power lines, underscoring the material and economic forces at play in shaping this suburban landscape. Look at the peeling paint on the van itself! Editor: So, it's less about the aesthetic and more about how it reveals the underlying material conditions? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider how infrastructure and labor intersect in everyday life. What do you make of the pirate flags? Editor: I hadn't considered the flags in the context of materiality before. Interesting. Thanks!