Untitled (portrait of man holding eyeglasses) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled portrait by John Howell. It seems to be a photographic negative, showing a man holding eyeglasses. What's striking is how the reversal of light and dark affects our perception of his status. What do you make of it? Curator: I notice the stark materiality of the photographic process itself. The negative image challenges our assumptions about representation and the labor involved in creating a portrait. We must consider the social context that made photography a symbol of accessibility during the late 19th and 20th centuries, while remaining labor intensive. Editor: So, it's less about the individual and more about the process of image-making and its role in society at the time? Curator: Precisely. The material reality of the negative transforms the portrait from a depiction of an individual into a product of technological and social forces. Editor: That makes me look at it in a completely different way. Thanks!