Untitled (Steelworker) c. 1958

Editor: This is Ludwig Windstosser's "Untitled (Steelworker)" from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a black and white photograph, with a strong contrast between the worker and the bright curve of what I assume is steel. It feels very industrial. What strikes you when you look at this image? Curator: Well, first, the steel *is* the star! The photo almost becomes a dance between light and shadow, doesn’t it? The worker seems almost secondary, a ghost in the machine. I wonder if Windstosser was trying to capture the impersonal nature of industry, the way it can swallow individuals? Editor: That's a really interesting point. I was so focused on the steel itself, I didn't think about how it almost obscures the worker's identity. I guess that says something about the power of industry, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly! Art reflects and refracts reality.