Untitled (girl in tutu) 1949

Curator: Let's discuss this photogram from the Hamblin Studio, simply titled "Untitled (girl in tutu)." Editor: It's strangely ethereal. The reversed tones give her a ghostly presence; I wonder, is she dancing towards us, or fading away? Curator: The photogram process is key here. The Hamblin Studio bypassed the camera, directly exposing the photographic paper to light, with the girl and her tutu acting as stencils. Editor: So, it is the light itself that shapes her image, giving the tutu a life of its own. I feel transported to another world. Curator: Absolutely, and thinking about it materially, the photogram, produced without a negative, exists almost as a unique object, pushing the boundaries of photographic reproduction. Editor: Indeed, it’s like capturing a dream; fleeting and intangible. I find myself pondering the delicate balance between documentation and artistic invention. Curator: The work certainly blurs those lines. I think it provides a fascinating lens into the material processes of early photography. Editor: Yes, a lens into the past and into the imagination. Thanks for this discussion!