Untitled (baby and boy in bathtub) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph of two children in a bathtub, by Lucian and Mary Brown. The negative image is a little unsettling but makes me wonder about the process of making the image. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I see a fascinating commentary on domesticity and labor. Consider the materiality of the photographic process itself – the film, the chemicals, the darkroom. The labor involved in creating this seemingly simple image is quite complex. Editor: That's a good point. The photograph's creation is labor intensive. Curator: Precisely! This challenges the notion of photography as an instantaneous art form, highlighting the material conditions of its production. Editor: I never would have thought about all the steps it takes to make a photo. Thanks! Curator: Of course! Reflecting on materiality helps to see beyond the surface of art.