Untitled (girl with hose and bird) 1955

Editor: This is an intriguing black and white photograph, Untitled (girl with hose and bird), made by Lucian and Mary Brown. It’s small, about 4x5 inches. There’s a young girl, another child looking on, and a hose fashioned into a circle... and is that a dead bird? What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a stark commentary on childhood innocence confronted by mortality. The hose, shaped like a serpent, introduces a biblical element, a loss of innocence. Where does the agency lie in this image? Is it the girl, the boy, the dead bird, the serpent? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: The presence of both children invites a consideration of gendered roles and expectations. Who is the passive observer, and who is actively engaging with the realities of death and its effects? Editor: Thanks, seeing it through that lens gives it a lot more depth. Curator: It's a layered work prompting us to consider childhood, loss, gender and agency.