Untitled (wrecked truck) 1953

Curator: Here we have Harry Annas' "Untitled (wrecked truck)," a photograph currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's stark, isn't it? The inverted tones give it an eerie quality. Like a ghost of industry. Curator: Exactly. Annas captures this abandoned vehicle, emphasizing its materiality, its breakdown. What narratives do you suppose surround this wreckage? Editor: The photograph almost glamorizes decay. This wasn't simply discarded; it was destroyed. The labor that went into its making, rendered useless. Curator: A poignant image about the life cycle of objects, and their changing roles within our culture. Editor: It certainly leaves you pondering about value, loss, and the passage of time.