Untitled (neon lights at night; martini glass) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have Jack Gould’s “Untitled (neon lights at night; martini glass),” a small photograph at the Harvard Art Museums. It makes me think about the commercial side of art, how neon is manufactured and placed into functional service. What are your thoughts on the materials and their use? Curator: I see this image as a confluence of industrial production and urban consumption. The neon sign isn't just an image, but a product of specific labor, from glass blowing to electrical wiring. How does the sign's function as advertising impact its status as art? Editor: That's a great point. The labor is embedded within the sign itself, but what does that say about its context as a photograph in a museum? Curator: The photograph transforms the manufactured sign into an object of contemplation. It makes us think about the processes that bring these images into being. Editor: I see now the photograph captures a moment in time, but it's also highlighting the means of its own production. Thank you.