Untitled (parent watching child in fake school building) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould showing a parent watching a child in a fake school building. It's a small black and white image, and the contrast gives it an eerie feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a stark commentary on performance and expectation, particularly within the context of early childhood. The staged school building and watchful parent highlight the pressures placed on children to conform and succeed. Editor: Conform to what, exactly? Curator: To a system. To societal norms dictated by race, gender, class. Consider the role of surveillance, who is watching and who is being watched. How does this echo anxieties about control and the loss of innocence? Editor: That makes me think about the performative aspects of parenting as well. Curator: Exactly! It's a layered critique of societal expectations imposed on both children and their caregivers. Editor: I never thought of it that way; it’s much more complex than it appears.