Portrait #21 27-Sep-01

Editor: Here we have Kevin Bubriski's "Portrait #21," a black and white photograph. It looks like a candid shot of a woman receiving a shoulder massage, but she seems…unhappy. What do you see in this piece? Curator: As a materialist, I'm drawn to the photographic process itself. Consider the labor involved in capturing this image, the cost of film, the darkroom work. What does this access to photographic materials say about the artist and his subjects? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't thought about the economics of it. So, the very means of producing the photograph influences its meaning? Curator: Precisely. And how does that influence our interpretation of the subjects' lives and the social context they exist within? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's always valuable to consider the material conditions that shape art.